A ‘Touched By an Angel’ story
© 2000, Not Intended to infringe on any previously held copyrights.
It’s hard, so hard, thought twelve year old Yvonne as she closed the door to her bedroom. If I have to stay in here for the rest of my life I will, but I don’t ever want go back out into the living room as long as he is there. She leaned up against the door to her room, and could hear the loud plodding footsteps of her mother’s boyfriend going down the hall. It was almost as though he owned the place, she thought sadly, but often she asked herself if in fact he did. She had tried to talk to her mother about how awkward this man made her feel, but her mother seemed only concerned with her own troubles rather than to pay any attention to what had been going on with her young daughter.
As Yvonne turned back around, she could feel the tears beginning to brim from underneath her eyes. God, why does it have to be so hard, she thought to herself, the tears freely falling from beneath her eyelids. Hell does exist, she thought, it must, because it’s right here and now.
She had started middle school earlier that year, now as she looked outside the window, she could see the autumn leaves falling from the trees and dancing against her window. She stretched her hand out towards the glass, her fingertips touching the cold surface. It had been about three weeks since school started, and she hated it already. After only three weeks. That did not seem possible, but she had started to lose hope when she was tripped the first time in the cafeteria, or when mean spirited boys had slammed her knuckles into her locker door. She could not determine what was worse, having to dress out for gym class, or actually having to take part in physical activity, which gave the other kids enough ammunition to chastise her.
On top of this, she was living a nightmare at home. As soon as she turned to check the door to make sure it was firmly shut behind her, she went over to the radio and turned it on, the soft swells of music somehow encompassing her deeply embedded misery. She could see the mirror behind her, it was reflecting her face; sunken in, frail, the weeping she had done leaving red marks and splotches along the contours of her face. “You’re disgusting and ugly,” she muttered under her breath at her reflection, and part of her simply wanted to just throw a rock against the smooth surface of the mirror, shattering it and leaving only fragments of it behind.
As the music continued to drift through the room, the plodding footsteps of her mother’s friend receded and she sighed with relief when she could no longer hear the sounds that reminded her of the pain she must endure. A childhood lost, without friends, her spirit struggling to understand, but in her heart an emptiness dwelling only leaving a fragile shell in its wake.
“Tess, I’m telling you, this is what happened,” Andrew began to speak as soon as he closed the door to his office and began to walk down the empty hall with his friend and superior angel. The final bell had announced the end of the day, and although it did not take long for the school to empty out, there remained only small numbers of kids. There were athletes in sports training, some singers in the choir, and then a large clump of kids who had detention.
Whatever the case, these kids were still trampling through the halls of Kilgore Middle School as though they were an army, their footsteps resonating through the halls, the tiles practically shaking with the force exerted upon them. Andrew figured that Tess would be here, as one of the choir directors had become unexpectedly ill and their assignment had brought them to this school. At the very least, Tess was in good spirits, and she knew, as well as her angel boy and girl, that working with the choir could be a good cover-up for their intended assignment.
“Listen, Angel Boy, I believe you, but I also know through experience that kids can sometimes be very cruel to each other, and I have seen it happen,” Tess replied. “At any rate, your assignment is a girl named Yvonne Hudson. She’s in your fourth period history class, has sandy blonde hair, brown eyes. That is if you can see her eyes, she seems to look at the ground all the time when she walks.”
“I suppose she’s the same person I saw tripped at lunch today, then. She is as you described, and she sits in the third row during my fourth period class,” Andrew began. “I just couldn’t believe that I had seen a boy trip a girl in the cafeteria. I thought the kids went beyond this cruelty.”
“I know, Angel Boy,” Tess said gently. “I also heard that the girl had gotten off the floor, and ran towards the restroom completely in tears. Monica has already told me, as she had seen the incident as well. Now, I have to get going, the choir rehearsal starts in a few minutes, and if I don’t get there, Miss Wings will start without me and you know as well as I about Monica’s lack of musical talent.”
Andrew smiled when he thought about his friend, Monica. She was a lot of things; kind, loving friendly, but she certainly was not gifted in the area of music like Tess was. He was still smiling when Tess walked away and he was left immersed in his contemplations.
“Excuse me,” a small voice entered his thoughts about five minutes later and he turned around. There standing next to him was one of his students, and more than that, it was his assignment. The young girl stood uncomfortably next him, her stance indicating her fear of having interrupted him from something that could have been considered important. She seemed to be rocking from one foot to the other completely nervous in his presence.
“Hello Yvonne, what can I do for you?” he asked gently trying to make her relax.
“Iuh, I sort of left my notebook in your classroom when I went to lunch and I need it so I can do my homework tonight,” she stammered.
“It’s no trouble, I was just going back there to get something I had forgotten,” he said smiling down at her. He could see that aside from being very shy, her hair was disheveled, her clothing wrinkled, and her eyes constantly on the ground. Tess had been right; the girl probably believed somehow that she was beneath everyone. Andrew crouched down somewhat so he could see her face, his good-natured smile showing his love and understanding for the miserable girl.
After some moments of hesitation, she glanced up and could see him trying rather unsuccessfully at making eye contact with her. She smiled timidly and shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry,” she managed to utter.
“No need to be sorry,” he began. “I saw what happened to you in the cafeteria, are you OK?” he said compassion in his voice as they started walking towards the classroom.
“I’m fine,” she said softly.
“Are you really?”
“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?” she said simply.
“I don’t know. It just seemed to me that you needed to talk about something. I mean, I do understand, and I also realize that it is not so easy being in middle school, is it?” he asked.
She said nothing, but kept sneaking looks at him. He seemed different. Unlike the other teachers, he immediately introduced himself informally as simply ‘Andrew’ and told them that he was not used to formalities and that they would speak on a first name basis. Most of the teachers she had were ‘Mrs. So-and-So’ or ‘Mr. What’s His Name’. She knew that Andrew had only started teaching this class that very day and that he was new to the school. It amazed her that he actually remembered her name, and that when he spoke to her, it gave her the instant impression that he understood and cared for her. Both feelings were rather alien to her, and she was not sure she was ready to offer friendship to someone in his position. Maybe in a few days, she would know for sure, but right now, she was still afraid.
As they reached the classroom, Andrew removed the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. They walked inside the room, and he retrieved a notebook from his desk. Yvonne walked over to a second desk not far from his, and reached down to pick up the papers she had accidentally left on the floor. She glanced up at him, “Would it be OK if I sat here for a few minutes and organize my stuff? All my papers got a little scattered and I need to resort them.”
“I see no trouble with that if you don’t mind that I’m still here,” he said smiling gently. “I still have to grade some quizzes from another class and probably won’t be able to leave for another hour or so,” he paused smiling warmly, “besides that, I think it’s nice to have a little company.”
Yvonne smiled weakly, nodded, and opened the small notebook.
-*-*-*-
Ten minutes later, Andrew looked up from his work and could see that Yvonne had fallen asleep in her seat. He had half expected her to be finishing with her organizing, but when he heard a soft sigh emerging from between her lips, he glanced up to see that she had fallen asleep, her arms draped across the desk.
“You’ve got your work cut out for you on this one, don’t you Andrew?” a voice emerged and he looked up and could see Monica standing next to him.
“I would guess so,” he whispered. “She’s very fragile, isn’t she?”
“A child shouldn’t have to live with the nightmares that Yvonne must endure on a daily basis,” was all the second angel said. “You know she’s got ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’, don’t you? Tess told me to tell you this, so you can go easy on her if she falls asleep in class.”
Andrew nodded and sighed deeply as he walked over to where Monica stood. “I guessed she did, but that’s not the problem. I don’t even know how to start getting her to talk about what she’s been through. It’s only my first day here, and yet I feel a strong sense of responsibility for her.”
“All you can do is be there for her,” Monica said softly and smiled encouragingly. “She’ll eventually realize the extent of how much you care for her.”
Andrew nodded as he took off the jacket he had been wearing and wadded it up in an effort to make a small pillow out of it for Yvonne. Monica followed him over to the desk where the girl slept. When he reached her, he gently removed the open notebook she was resting on and the two of them replaced it with the soft jacket. As she felt herself being shifted, Yvonne opened her eyes, and glanced up. “W-what happened?”
“You fell asleep,” Andrew said gently.
“I did? Again?” Yvonne looked frightened and it was obvious that her ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’ had yet to be diagnosed.
“What is it?” Monica asked gently.
“I’m scared, I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said softly. “This is the third time this week that I’ve had this happen and I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Have you spoken to your parents about it?” Andrew asked trying not to let on that he knew what was wrong with her, but at the same time trying to help her find some sort of resolution in everything.
“I can’t talk to my parents, my father doesn’t live with us anymore, and my mother doesn’t have time for me,” Yvonne said, her voice emerging with some traces of bitterness.
“They should make time. After all, you are their daughter,” Andrew said and paused before he continued. “I take it you haven’t seen a doctor before about this either.”
Yvonne shook her head.
“If you could, would you?” Monica asked.
“Yeah, I probably would,” Yvonne said. “I hate living with this kind of uncertainty.”
Monica nodded, as she was about to take her leave. “I will see what I can do for you,” she said and offered the young girl an encouraging smile. “Oh well, I guess I’d better get back to the rehearsal, or Tess will send out the search party. She said we should both meet at the choir room at 4, so I guess I’ll see you then, Andrew.”
He nodded as Monica left the room. When he looked down at Yvonne, he could see that she had started to rub the drowsiness out of her eyes.
“I suppose I should get home,” she whispered more to herself than to him.
“Did you get everything done that you needed to do?” he asked gently.
“I think so,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She put her hands on the top of the desk to push herself off the seat. Her hand brushed against his jacket and she looked down at it. After a few moments, she glanced up and spoke, “Andrew?”
“Yes?”
She casually hung his jacket over her arm and carried it back over to him. “Thank you,” she paused before she continued to speak softly. “People usually aren’t as kind to me as you have been.”
“Why do you say that, Yvonne?” he asked trying to keep his voice steady, but also keeping it soft.
“Because it’s the truth. I know you saw what happened in the cafeteria today, what those other kids did to me. I saw you standing there and you were looking at me. I can’t describe how it made me feel, worried, afraid, ashamed,” she began feeling the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks and she wiped the back of her hand over her face thus smearing them away.
“It made me sad to see you treated this way,” he said gently.
“I guess initially, I thought maybe you would have been disgusted with me. I mean, most people wouldn’t waste their time with someone like me. I’m fat and ugly. Even the other kids asked me why I wasn’t pretty like my sisters, or athletic like my cousin.” She wiped her hands down the front of her clothing as soon as she had returned the jacket to him. After a pause, she shrugged her shoulders unable to continue.
“God would never consider you to be a waste of time, Yvonne, and for what it’s worth, neither would I,” he said gently reaching over and resting his hand on her shoulder.
Yvonne looked up at him with a mixture of unexpressed pain and hurt in her eyes. “Perhaps, but neither you nor Him could possibly protect me from what I have been through. And even if you did, it would just make everything worse. Besides, how can I burden Him or you with my problems? My mother says that I should be ashamed to even speak of myself or my problems to others and she even said that if I did, and she found out about it, I’d be in deep trouble.”
“God waits for you, Yvonne, all you have to do is talk to him,” Andrew offered.
Yvonne smiled weakly, but shook her head not willing to believe in the words of the angel. She walked out of the room leaving all of her schoolbooks behind.
Andrew took this as a negative sign and followed her out into the hallway. “Yvonne, wait a minute, you forgot your books.”
The forlorn girl stopped and turned around. Once she had, he could see the tears in her eyes and it was clear to him that the books were the least of her concerns.
“I’ll take care of them for you,” he began. “But, I want you to know that if you need me for anything no matter what it is, all you have to do is come see me. I’ll do whatever I can for you, I think you know that,” he said gently.
“I wish I could believe that,” she whispered. “The only thing I can do now is to not begin to believe. The way my life is, it’s too dangerous, and I might end up getting hurt again.” She walked slowly away and Andrew took a step forward wanting to follow her, but he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw that Tess was had appeared from out of nowhere and was standing next to him.
“Don’t press her, Angel Boy, in due time, she’ll talk to you,“ she said confidently.
“Do you think so?” he asked sadly. “I mean you heard her, right?” Once Tess nodded, he spoke again. “She doesn’t even believe she’s worth God’s love.”
“You will show her otherwise.”
Andrew nodded, but all he could do was watch Yvonne as she continued down the hallway and after some moments had passed, she disappeared around a corner.
-*-*-*-
Yvonne walked slowly outside, the autumn sunshine beating down on her. She lived only a few blocks from the school, and she used this time alone to think. She stretched out on the grassy meadow of the small park which happened to be situated near the duplex where she lived with her two sisters, mother, and her mother’s friend, Rick. Today, for some reason, the park didn’t offer her the solitude she really needed.
Glancing up, she could see some of the neighborhood kids beginning to play baseball. Old shirts and jeans were used as their bases, and she could hear their laughter in the distance. She looked down at her clothing, used stuff that had once belonged to her sister, all of it out of date. In some cases, I’m just a normal kid, in others, I’m considered a nothing, she thought to herself. As long as it fits, what does it matter if I look like an idiot? What does it matter if I belong?
“Hey Baby, why the long face?”
She looked up and saw a heavyset woman standing next to where she was sprawled out on the grass. “Do you mind if I join you?” the woman asked. Once Yvonne shook her head, the woman sat down. “My name’s Tess, what’s yours?”
“Yvonne,” came the soft answer.
“Nice day, isn’t it?” Tess asked.
“I guess, I really didn’t notice it,” she replied and looked over at the woman. Like Andrew, she had an openness in her expression that she couldn’t describe, but at the same time, Yvonne felt intimidated by the woman’s presence, and after a few awkward seconds, she stood up and began to wipe her hands down the front of her skirt.
“Going so soon?” Tess asked.
“I’m sorry, but I have to get home, or my mother will get mad at me,” Yvonne said softly. “I hope that doesn’t offend you, I wouldn’t want you to think I am leaving because of you.”
“Of course it doesn’t, I understand. You take care, Yvonne and I’ll see you around,” Tess replied smiling. “I’ve been teaching choir at your school, your history teacher’s a friend of mine.”
Yvonne relaxed somewhat. “Which one? The new one?”
“Yes, Andrew, he started today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like him?” Tess asked.
“I guess, he’s pretty cool,” Yvonne said. “But it’s weird to call him by his first name. My mother always said that I should only call adults by their first names when it is requested of me. If I use first names, then she thinks it’s rude.”
“From what I know of Andrew, he did request this, did he not?”
“I guess so, but it’s still weird for me,” she paused. “Oh well, it was nice meeting you. I guess I will see you around sometime.” Yvonne stood up and walked slowly towards the row of buildings situated on the opposite side of the park. Tess was left alone, her thoughts on the young girl.
“Father, give her some hope, please,” Tess prayed. “At least until she begins to acknowledge your presence in her life.”
-*-*-*-
Yvonne approached the front door to the house some ten minutes later. Her mother’s boyfriend, Rick, was standing in the living room waiting when she came inside. “Where have you been?” he demanded, his voice not hiding the traces of anger. “Your mother just called ten minutes ago. You were supposed to clean the bathroom, if I am not mistaken.”
“I’m sorry, I had to stay late and do my homework,” she offered weakly.
“Why didn’t you tell your mother this before you left for school this morning?”
“I didn’t know I would be staying late,” she said, her eyes constantly on the ground.
As she started to walk in the direction of the bathroom to begin her chores, Rick stepped in between her and the intended path and grasped her arm in his, his gleaming gray eyes baring down into her brown ones. She knew what was coming, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Would this nightmare ever end?
Thirty minutes later, Yvonne crawled into the shower, her vision blurred by her tears, her strength wavering. She reached for the bar of soap and wiped it over her body. As she rinsed the scent of her mother’s boyfriend away, she could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks, her hands covering her face, as she began to cry.
After some moments underneath the shower, she turned the water off, and reached for a towel. Once she had wrapped herself in her terry robe, she left the bathroom and went immediately into her room. As soon as the door was closed, she propped a chair underneath the knob hoping that if Rick did come back, it would deter him. As she did, she turned on the radio and listened as Collin Raye’s voice, the voice of her favorite singer, offered her some sort of comfort in the shame she felt deep inside. As she heard the words to the song, ‘The Eleventh Commandment’ resonating through the room, she covered her face with her hands, fell on the bed, and began to weep bitterly.
Two feet from where she was lying, Andrew had appeared and was standing in her room watching her. His eyes filled with tears as he watched the young girl spill out her agony in the words of a song. He wanted to go and take her in his arms and hold her. He wanted to tell her that God would take care of her, that He would not allow anyone to hurt her. He knew he couldn’t do this, not just yet, but he also knew that she needed someone to help take away the extent of her misery.
Unbeknownst to her, he continued to watch as she reached for her stuffed teddy bear and held it tightly against her chest, the tears continuing to fall from her eyes. “I’m so ugly…” she whispered. “I’m not worthy of anything, not anything at all…”
Andrew closed his eyes briefly, his concern evident in his prayer. “Father, let me go to her, please.” His soft whisper was etched with the sadness he felt for the young girl. When the affirmative answer came back, Andrew smiled and walked over to the weeping girl, allowing himself to become visible only to her.
“Yvonne,” he whispered.
The girl continued to weep until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. After a few deep breaths, she finally glanced up, her eyes red and puffy from her tears. When she finally managed to wipe the moistness from her eyes, she could see him towering over her. This frightened her and she backed away from him, her movements breaking the contact he had initiated with her.
“It’s OK, Yvonne, don’t be afraid,” he said softly. “I’m here for you,” then thinking better of those words, the Angel of Death smiled gently down at her. “You’re not alone anymore. I’m here to help you get through all of this.”
For an instant, he could tell that she was afraid, but then her voice emerged through her pain. “Andrew, but how? I don’t understand.” It was plain to see that she was relieved that it was him and not her mother or Rick.
“Something’s are not meant to be understood, they are meant simply to be accepted and embraced,” he said softly.
“I’m afraid,” she whimpered as she sat up.
Without saying anything, he sat down next to her.
She glanced over towards the door to her room, the chair was still under the knob, and she shook her head still unable to understand how it was that he was sitting next to her. She reached over towards him and when she felt his shoulder under her hand, she gasped, pulling her hand suddenly away. “This isn’t a dream, is it?”
“No, Yvonne, it’s not.”
“W-who are you and how did you get in here?” she asked softly noticing that he had started to radiate some sort of whitish light. He suddenly changed and she could tell that he was now dressed much differently, more extravagantly than he had been when she had seen him at the school. Gone were his jeans and sweater and now he was dressed in an off-white shirt and pants; a darker beige jacket completed his look. Seeing this, she backed up against the wall her hands beginning to tremble, her eyes wide. “Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded with him.
“I would never hurt you,” he began, his voice soft. “I’m an angel, and you have nothing to fear, Yvonne. God sent me.”
“H-h-he did? I-I mean, you are?” She asked, but could still see the halo of light around him.
“Uh-huh,” he smiled weakly as the light began to fade. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. I’m here to help you.” He leaned towards her and took her hand gently in his own. Once he held her hand, he pulled her gently out of the corner she had wedged herself into and once she was close enough to him, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly in his embrace.
As he held her, he could feel the tears falling from her eyes and landing on his shoulder. Her weeping started soft, and then it rose in intensity until Andrew spoke, encouraging her to get those painful feelings out. “That’s it, Yvonne. It’s OK, just let it out.”
Feeling his arms around her, she allowed herself to cry, and once her weeping had faded, she could feel herself falling asleep once again. This time, she slept cradled securely in his arms.
After some time, Andrew shook her slightly and she looked up at him. “Andrew, I guess you saw what happened to me?” She looked down at her lap as she continued, “I mean, with Rick?”
Andrew nodded compassionately, his eyes filled with sadness. “Yes, I did.”
Yvonne sat up on the bed and covered her face with her hands as fresh tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Can you help me? I feel so ashamed, so ugly and insignificant.”
“You have no reason to feel shame, Yvonne,” he said gently. “You are neither ugly nor insignificant, but you are a victim of a crime, something which you are absolutely not accountable or responsible for.”
“But why must this happen to me?” She cried. “I told my mother about it, and she didn’t believe me. Andrew, why didn’t she believe me?”
“I wish I knew the answer, but I don’t,” he whispered. “Yvonne, you must never believe that you’re without worth, because God loves you, and he will help you, if you seek Him out.”
“I’m scared…I’m so scared…” her voice trailed off and her hopeless eyes sought his.
“I know you are. Your burdens are far more difficult than that of most adults,” he said. “You should have the right to speak of this without being afraid or feeling ashamed. You have done nothing wrong, and God does love you, Yvonne, you are His child.”
She shook her head, but before she could say anything, they could both hear someone banging on her door. “Quit talking to yourself and open this door right now, Yvonne, I will not have you shutting yourself off from the rest of us!”
She looked at Andrew, fear in her eyes. After some moments, he spoke to her, his voice gentle. “Go ahead and open the door, I’ll be here, but your mother won’t be able to see me,” he said gently, but when she hesitated, he spoke again. “It’s OK, Yvonne, I’ll still be here. I’m not going anywhere.” Upon hearing his reassurances, she walked towards the door and opened it slowly. Once she saw her mother on the other side, she knew she was in trouble.
“I want to talk to you,” her mother’s angry sounding voice emerged and she wiped her hands over her face trying to conceal the fact that she had been crying.
Yvonne swallowed and turned back towards Andrew hoping he wouldn’t believe the accusations her mother was about to start throwing at her.
“I want an answer and I want it now, Young Lady,” Frieda Hudson said, and there was no denying the woman was angry. She stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips and fire practically shooting out of her eyes.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Yvonne muttered.
“Rick said that you didn’t clean the bathroom as you were supposed to have done. I want to hear your reason as to why. You know that since I went back to work that you and your sisters have to pull your weight around the house. Melissa and Connie have done that, and I want to know why you insist on not doing your share. If you persist on behaving this way, I will contact your principal and have you taken off of the newspaper staff.”
“I was late because I had homework to do at school,” Yvonne stammered. “I’m sorry, Mom, I’ll do the bathroom right now, just please don’t take me off the staff, it’s the only fun I have at school.” She looked briefly back over at Andrew, her eyes shadowed with guilt. When he nodded at her and offered her an encouraging smile, she turned back to face her mother and slowly walked out of her room and into the bathroom.
She was happily surprised when Andrew followed her. As soon as she was inside the bathroom, she grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. “Sometimes, I wish I was dead,” she said softly.
“Oh no, Yvonne, don’t ever wish that, your life is a precious gift,” Andrew said gently resting his hand on her shoulder.
“Then this gift should at least have a return policy on it, because I want to take it back,” she said softly as she sat down on the floor. Her contact with him broken, she reached for a container filled with cleaning agents. She raised the lid of the toilet and began to pour the chemicals into it. Ignoring his presence, she grabbed the brush and began to diligently scrub the toilet.
Andrew could only stand there in surprise at hearing her words. After a few moments of silence, he was left to conclude that Yvonne did not want him there, and so he disappeared.
When Yvonne turned around some moments later and noticed that he was gone, she sighed deeply. I guess I’ll never see him again, she thought sadly to herself; I’m not even worth the love of an angel. She continued to scrub the toilet, all the while, the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.
-*-*-*-
“You shouldn’t have left her alone, Angel Boy,” Tess scolded Andrew as soon as she had witnessed what had transpired with Yvonne. The three angels had met back at the school. Tess was as close to being angry as one could be. “She needs you now more than ever, and you just left her hanging. How could you have done that? I thought you knew better.”
Andrew looked at Tess somewhat shamefaced, “what should I have done, Tess?”
The two of them were standing in the classroom where Andrew taught History. Monica had found a piece of chalk and had started to draw on the board. “Anything, but not leave her when you are needed.”
“It’s hurts me to see her in so much pain,” Andrew said softly. “She feels unworthy of love, and it does not seem to matter from where it comes. Tess, it’s such a horrible situation.”
“It’s worse than that, Andrew, now she feels as though she is unworthy of the love of an angel,” Tess said sternly. “It’s going to be hard for you to regain her trust after all of this.”
Andrew sat down at the desk and looked at her, “sometimes I think the other assignments I’ve had, have been easier. For people to leave their physical body seems rather insignificant in comparison to this. Yvonne somehow encompasses someone who has lost her own spirit because it has been killed by the actions of others.” He shook his head, his eyes filling with tears.
“I’m sorry, Baby, but you had to know the truth,” Tess said softly. “I know why you were given this assignment. If anyone can revive that child’s spirit, it would be you. The Father knows this and now you know, you must believe it.”
“But, Tess, wouldn’t it have been better if someone else like Monica had this assignment?” Andrew asked softly.
“The Father said it’s yours and you have to do as He said,” Tess said sternly as Monica turned from the blackboard.
“Where’s your sense of adventure, Andrew?” Monica asked with a smile. “You should not underestimate the impact you have on others.”
“She’s right,” Tess said gently.
As he contemplated the words of his friends, Andrew became certain of what it was he would have to do. When he would see Yvonne in school the following day, he would reaffirm his willingness to help her, and no matter what happened, he would not make the same mistake twice.
Andrew was anxious the following day when his fourth period history class filed into the large room. He was standing at his desk when the tardy bell sounded, and when he looked at the place that Yvonne usually occupied. He sighed deeply when the realization hit him that it was empty. “Does anyone know where Yvonne is?” he finally asked the class.
“No, but I heard she was asleep in the girls’ toilet,” one boy said and the other kids began to snicker.
“That’s not funny,” he said sternly and the giggles died down.
At that moment, Tess came into the classroom. “Andrew, I’ll take it from here, you’re needed in the library.”
“OK,” he nodded and handed a piece of chalk to the other angel and left the room quickly. It was strange that Tess would interrupt him during an assignment, but it occurred to him that somehow she knew more than he did in this regard, and that it was imperative for him to hurry. Quickening his pace, he practically broke into a run in order to get the library.
As soon as he got to the door leading inside, he entered the large room and saw a rather agitated librarian standing near the door. “What are you doing here? I sent Tess for the school nurse.”
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Andrew asked ignoring the woman’s questions.
“That child over there, she’s asleep on one of the desks, and when I tried to revive her, she wouldn’t wake up,” the librarian said. “Do you know her?”
“Yes, her name’s Yvonne, she’s one of the students in my history class,” Andrew said softly. “Let me see if I can get her to wake up.”
“Good luck, but I’ve already tried, and it looks pretty hopeless. I mean it looks like she’s in a coma or something,” the librarian said weakly not believing that Andrew possessed the capabilities of waking Yvonne. “When the school nurse gets here, I’ll send her over.”
“Thank you,” Andrew replied and walked over to the table where the girl slept. He reached down and took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “Yvonne, come on honey, wake up,” he whispered and when he felt the girl’s hand squeeze his, he knew that she would soon wake up.
Within seconds after he applied some more pressure on her hand, and she sighed deeply as she slowly opened her eyes. When she managed to rub the sleep out of her eyes, she looked over at him. When she realized who it was seated next to her, she pulled her hand away and stared down at the tabletop unsure of what to say.
“Are you OK?” he asked her.
She nodded, unable to find the appropriate words to say to him. Her face depicted how hurt and abandoned she felt. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but wiped her hand stubbornly over her face, washing them away. It was obvious to Andrew that he had hurt her deeper than he had intended.
“I wanted to apologize to you for what happened yesterday,” he began. “I should never have left you alone. It was never my intent to hurt you.”
She shrugged her shoulders, but could not bring herself to speak to him.
“I know you’re hurt by my actions, I can tell by looking at you,” he said gently.
She nodded numbly.
“It was never my intent, Yvonne. It won’t happen again,” he said softly. “Will you forgive me?”
“B-but you’re an angel…” she mumbled.
“Yes, that is true, but I am capable of making mistakes just as you are. There exists only one perfect being in the universe, and that’s God,” he smiled. “Will you forgive me, Yvonne?”
She nodded, and he could tell that the words were stuck in her throat.
By this time, the nurse had arrived and could see that Yvonne was awake and she looked at the librarian somewhat perturbed. “Asleep huh?”
The librarian was taken aback, “Miss Freely, the child was asleep and I tried everything I could to wake her.”
Andrew nodded, “it’s true. I believe if you want to know the proper term for what she’s got, it’s called ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’.” Upon hearing his words, Yvonne looked at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. “However, from what I understand about this condition, it’s not dangerous, but it can be rather annoying when not properly diagnosed,” he continued.
“I thought you were a History teacher,” the nurse complained. “From the way you speak, it sounds like you decided to go on sabbatical and attend Medical School.” With that the woman stalked away leaving Yvonne, Andrew, and the librarian alone. As it became clear to the librarian that there was no longer appeared to be an emergency, she quickly excused herself and walked back over towards the check out counter. Andrew and Yvonne were left alone.
“Do you want to go back to class now? Or would you rather sit here for a few minutes?”
“If I had a choice, I’d never go back at all,” she whispered.
“You can’t run away from your life, you know?” he offered.
“That’s easy for you to say, you have it made, I don’t,” she whispered. “I’m just a pathetic kid with more problems than all the patients at the ‘Betty Ford Clinic’.”
“You’re not pathetic, but you are hurting, and I share your pain, Yvonne,” his sad eyes met hers. “Believe me, please, I speak only the truth.”
When Yvonne looked up and saw him, she could see the pain in his eyes. It felt almost as though she was looking at her own reflection in a mirror. After a couple of seconds, she looked down at the table once again. “I shouldn’t have said that to you. I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s not fair of me to say hurtful things to you, I know you’re only trying to help. It just feels really hopeless right now.”
“I understand,” he said gently and he could not get over the fact that this girl would rather make him feel better than to allow someone to help her feel better. This assignment is getting harder and harder, he thought to himself. “I suppose we do need to get back. It’d be a shame if I had to teach your peers about the Civil War without you being there. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
As she looked in the earnest eyes of the angel, she stood up. “I’ll come, but only if you promise not to abandon me if I say something stupid. I know I need you here with me. I’m frightened, but at least when you’re nearby, I don’t feel so alone.”
“I won’t leave you,” he promised her and together they left the library. “If you ever need me, just call out to me, and I’ll be there for you.”
-*-*-*-
That afternoon after school let out for the day, Yvonne was walking down the hall. “Hey, look, it’s Yvonne the walking dead. Is that a girl or a zombie?”
A number of the boys started laughing. “You know she snores?” one girl asked the group. “I heard she fell asleep in her pudding yesterday at lunch.”
The other kids started to laugh, “I heard she was crashed in the library this afternoon, and then she was revived by the History teacher. Hahaha, what a Prince Charming that guy is, huh?”
“Hey, he’s not too bad looking,” a second girl chimed. “In fact, I think he’s kind of cute. But, what would he see in her; she’s a dog!”
Yvonne’s face flushed with pain as she quickened her pace, and tried desperately to put as much distance between herself and those kids as she could. When she reached the other end of the hall, she was wiping the tears out of her eyes. What she didn’t see was Tess had cornered the group of kids at the other end of the hall and she had started laying into them, as only she knew how.
“You kids ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” she said. “Do you also make fun of people who have to wear glasses or braces?”
“Uh, no Ma’am,” one of the boys said.
“Then why do you make fun of someone with a sleeping disorder?” Tess asked. “I ought to give each and every one of you a detention for this, but I am well aware of what would happen. You’d get into trouble at home and then come back to school and look for something else to chastise that child about. Go home now and I challenge each and every one of you to try and find something good to say about each other for a change.”
The girl who had called Yvonne a dog, looked ashamed and it appeared almost as though she had been slapped in the face. She turned and ran from the group, her embarrassment evident. Two of the boys walked slowly away, both shaking their heads.
One girl remained standing, however, and after a few moments, she looked up at Tess. “I’m sorry,” she said and her blue eyes were filled with sadness as to what she had said. “I’m not usually like that.”
“Don’t apologize to me, Honey. If you want to make things right, go apologize to Yvonne,” Tess said. “After all, she’s the one you hurt.”
“Do you think she’ll forgive me?” the girl asked.
“I don’t know, maybe,” came the answer.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure you can,” Tess replied.
“What does she have that makes her sleep like that?” the girl asked. “I guess if it was me, I’d be kind of scared.”
“It’s called ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’, it’s not fatal, but it does make a person fall asleep at any time; and Yvonne, doesn’t have the support she needs to get to a doctor to get it properly diagnosed,” Tess said.
“What about her parents?”
“Well, you see, her parents are divorced, and her mother isn’t as attentive to her needs as she should be,” Tess tried to explain the situation as diplomatically as she could. “What she needs are friends, people who will stand by her and help her through all the painful things she must face.”
“Maybe it would help if I talked to my dad? He’s a doctor, maybe he can help her,” the girl offered.
“What’s your name?” Tess asked.
“Danielle Jensen.”
“Danielle, I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Tess replied and smiled down at the girl.
-*-*-*-
Yvonne came outside of the school building at this time, and she could see the other kids getting on the busses to go home. It was a relief to her that she didn’t have to ride one. She had done this when she was younger and she could not forget the bully that would beat her up on a daily basis simply for speaking her mind. She was relieved when the busses began to drive away.
She looked around the schoolyard, and finally sat down on a bench. I wish I had a friend, she thought to herself. I wish I could understand why people are so cruel.
“Yvonne?” She heard a small voice and could see Tess standing some three feet from where she was sitting. In front of her stood Danielle Jensen, one of the girls who had teased her before she had come outside.
“What do you want?” She asked.
“I want to apologize to you,” Danielle said nervously as Tess walked slowly away from the two girls. From a safe distance, she watched as the two conversed. Moments later, Andrew and Monica appeared and began to watch as well. They were invisible, but the voices of the two girls could be heard.
“Why?” Yvonne asked, not sure she wanted to trust Danielle.
“The lady from the choir told me about what she thinks might be wrong with you, you know this ‘Chronic Fatigue’ thing? I didn’t really know that such a thing existed. My dad’s a doctor, but he never talks about diseases and stuff at the dinner table,” Danielle said smiling weakly.
“Why do you tease people who are different than you?”
“Look, it was stupid of me to do that to you,” Danielle began. “I want to be your friend. I know I’m probably not deserving of it, but I want to try.”
“I’m not worth it,” Yvonne said.
“Says who?” Danielle challenged.
Yvonne looked at the other girl. “The others.”
“Oh, geez, who cares about them? I know all the gossip about them anyway. Did you know that Billy only does that to you because he thinks you’re cute, and he’s trying to act like a macho? Then there’s Teresa, she has a sister with Bulimia. Do you know what that is?”
“No.”
“It’s an eating disorder, they commonly call it binging and purging. Yuck, sounds absolutely horrid, but my dad told me about it. He’s been treating her and even had to recommend a psychologist to Teresa because she’s heading down the same road,” Danielle said. “Don’t tell anyone I told you, I just happened to overhear it.”
“What’s the point of all this?” Yvonne asked.
“The point is, we’ve all got problems, some are bigger than others, but they’re still there, and we just have to find the strength to deal with ‘em,” Danielle said. “Listen, I’ll talk to my dad, if you want to get this sleeping thing licked, I’ll insist that he help you, OK?”
“You’d do that for me?” Yvonne asked.
“Sure, and next time you say you’re not worth it, I’ll remind you of this conversation.”
Yvonne smiled weakly. “Danielle, do you believe in God?”
“Yeah, I even go to church every Sunday with my folks,” she said. “What about you?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m still questioning,” Yvonne replied deciding to avoid the subject that one of theirs teachers was an angel.
“Do you want to come to church with us? We attend services at St. Andrew’s Church, and I think it’d be fun. I can introduce you to the other kids in my class,” she said not noticing the wry smile on Yvonne’s face when she mentioned the name of her church. “They’re a pretty good crowd, and none of them go to school here.”
“What made you change your mind about me?”
“That lady from the school choir, there’s something weird about her. Anyway, she stopped us after you left, and said something that hit home.”
“What did she say?”
“She challenged us to go home and think of something nice to say about someone else,” Danielle said. “The pastor at my church said the same exact words last Sunday. I guess it made me realize how stupid I’ve been behaving.”
-*-*-*-
At the same undetectable distance the three angels watched as Danielle got up and started walking towards the parking lot. After a few minutes she turned back and waved to Yvonne. Tess nodded approvingly and turned to face the other two.
“Tess, is Yvonne going to be OK now?” Monica asked. “She has a friend now, isn’t that the important thing?”
“No, Angel Girl, I’m afraid it’s not that easy at all,” Tess replied sadly.
“Then what?” Monica asked.
“Danielle’s dying, Monica,” Andrew said softly. “She’s got Leukemia, but no one knows about it yet.”
Tess nodded, “Adam’s here, he’ll be paying Danielle a visit tonight.”
“So soon?” Monica asked.
“No, from what I understand, she’ll have some time, but he has a message for her, a message about Yvonne,” Tess replied.
“How will this help Yvonne?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know,” Tess replied. “Maybe you should be asking the Father and not me.”
Andrew nodded, and when his gaze fell on Yvonne, he knew that Tess was right.
It had been rather easy for Danielle to speak to her father that evening. She had gotten home and when she saw him on the sofa, she went over to him. “Daddy?”
“Honey, how was school today?” he asked.
“It was fine, where’s Mom?”
“She had to work late, she’s been trying to close a deal for a new building downtown,” he said and Danielle smiled. Her mother was an architect and was admired by just about everyone acquainted with their family for her hard work and her creative designs.
“I figured, but I need to talk to you about something really important,” Danielle said softly.
“What’s up?” he turned to face her, making sure he muted the volume on the television.
“Daddy, one of my friends at school has a sleeping disorder,” Danielle began. “I mean I think there’s something else going on with her, but I can’t tell for certain. One of the teachers said she had something called ‘Chronic Sleeping Syndrome’ or something like that.”
“It’s called ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’,” he corrected her.
“Yeah, that. Anyway, I don’t think her family can afford to send her to a doctor, and I was wondering if you could take her case,” Danielle asked. “I mean it’s pretty important, she feel asleep in the library today, and all the kids have been teasing her about it.”
“That sounds pretty tough,” he said.
“Yeah, and what’s worse, I teased her too,” she said softly.
“Why did you do that?”
“I don’t know, I guess I just didn’t realize that my words could hurt,” she said and glanced up towards the television. There right next to it, she saw a man standing beside it, he wore an off white suit and had short wavy hair. After some moments, she shook her head and turned back to face her father. “Daddy, do you think God would forgive me for picking on Yvonne so much?”
“I’m certain of it,” her father answered ruffling her hair. “Now you’re trying to make things right and for that, you should feel proud; not ashamed. Go get my appointment book, and we’ll set her an appointment, OK. It will have to be off the record, and I can’t give her medication, but I can at least put her fears to rest.”
The appointment book had been placed on top of the television next to where the man was standing, his kind eyes regarding her as she grabbed the book and tried to get back over to the sofa. As soon as she sat down again, she looked up and smiled weakly at him, all the while wondering if she was cracking up.
Once Franklin Jensen opened the notebook, he nodded. “I have a 15 minute slot for Thursday after school. How’s that? You bring her to my office. There’s a bus that runs to the building from your school. Can you handle that?”
“Yeah, I’m almost a teenager, Daddy.”
“I forget sometimes how little girls grow up so quickly,” he said.
“Thanks, and since I still have homework to do, I’ll leave you to watching TV,” she said smirking at him.
“Well, thank you, ‘Your Highness’,” he chided as she got up and walked towards the doorway leading down the hall to her room. “Don’t forget to brush your teeth,” he called out.
Danielle turned around to reply, but the man who had been in the living room was now standing next to her. She sighed deeply and walked into her room and closed the door. When she turned around, he was still standing there. She walked over to the radio and turned it on. When she had adjusted the volume, she spoke, her voice shaky. “Are you a figment of my imagination?”
“No,” the man spoke as he shook his head. “My name is Adam, I’m an angel, Danielle.”
“An angel?” She asked. “But, why are you here?”
“I’m an Angel of Death, and there really isn’t an easy way for me to tell you this, but, to simply say it. I’m here because you are dying,” he said softly.
“Excuse me?” She asked unable to believe his words. “But, I’m not even sick.”
“Sit down, we need to have a talk,” he said gently, and when he looked at her, she knew that he had to be speaking the truth. Once they were both seated, he looked at her, his eyes filled with sympathy. “Danielle, you are very sick, you have Leukemia.”
“But, I’ve never even been diagnosed with it. My dad is a doctor, how could I be sick?”
“One question at a time,” Adam said gently. “You should go and see a doctor, Danielle, and very soon. Your father wouldn’t be able to detect it in you unless he were to take a blood sample from you, which he couldn’t do,” he paused. “I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, and I didn’t mean to frighten you with it, but you needed to know.”
“Sure you didn’t,” she replied somewhat sarcastically. “What do you think? I mean, a guy in a suit straight out of ‘Fantasy Island’ shows up in my room and tells me I’m going to die.” She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. When she looked back up and could see him still seated next to her, she swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. Her voice suddenly lost its energy and he could barely hear her next words. “Of course I’m afraid. Adam, most people would be hysterical, wouldn’t they?”
The angel nodded.
“It doesn’t seem fair, does it?” she said softly. “I mean, I’m only 12 years old.”
“I’m sorry, Danielle,” Adam began. “I know this is hard for you, but you still have some time, and there is some unfinished business you need to attend before you go home.”
“Go home?” She asked.
“Before you go to Heaven,” he said softly.
“And I take it you can’t tell me what it is I have to do?” she asked.
“No,” came the simple answer, but he reached over and touched her cheek with his hand.
Upon feeling his touch, she looked at him and with all the sincerity she could possibly muster; she spoke. “Adam, I’m frightened.”
“I know you are. Put your trust in God, and know that he will be there for you through all of this,” he paused before he continued. “I know it’s hard, but don’t be afraid, Danielle, keep your faith that God will guide you, but, don’t ever forget, that if you need me, you can call on me. Even if you just want to talk, I’ll be there for you, I’ll always be there for you. OK?”
“A trusted friend, huh?” she whispered.
He smiled when he heard the sincerity in her words, but nodded.
She could see that deeply in his eyes, how much he really cared for her and she looked at him. “So, you’re here as my guide or something, right?”
“I guess you could say that,” he smiled.
“Would it be inappropriate for me to ask you to hold me?” she asked, her fear beginning to get the better of her. “I’m really scared.”
Rather than speak, he gathered her up in his arms and held her as she began to weep bitterly. “I never thought it would be me,” she cried as he rocked her gently in his arms. “Adam, what am I going to do? I can’t tell my parents, they either wouldn’t believe it or they would go nuts.”
“I know. Just go see the doctor, and find out what the prognosis is,” he said gently. “We usually don’t visit someone before the diagnosis is in, but in this case, there is something very important you have to do and this was the only way.”
Danielle nodded as though she understood, but as she sat wrapped in Adam’s arms, she found herself dozing off, and the next time she opened her eyes, it was morning, the sun was streaming through her window, and Adam was gone.
-*-*-*-
Three days later, as promised, Danielle told Yvonne that after school she had an appointment set with her father. The two girls met after school and got on a bus to go downtown to Franklin Jensen’s office. “Don’t worry about my dad, he’s really a pussycat, and I’ve heard from others that he’s good with patients, and I’m not just saying that cause he’s my dad.”
“I’m nervous,” Yvonne said.
“I know, doctors tend to make a lot of people nervous. I get nervous too,” Danielle said softly as they got off the bus. “To be totally honest, I’m pretty nervous right now, as well. I guess I have been for the last three days. It’s because I just learned that I’m very sick. My folks don’t know about it yet, and I beg you not to tell them. I have a feeling that very soon I will be inundated with drugs and doctors. It frightens me so much. Funny, I always thought my life was easy, now I know it’s about to get much harder.”
“What do you mean?” Yvonne asked.
“I’m dying, Yvonne,” Danielle said. “I was visited the other night by an angel. He told me that I would be going home very soon, his name is Adam and he’s an Angel of Death. Since then, I’ve read as many books about angels as I could find, but through it all, I never thought that I would actually meet one. He was tall and good-looking; I mean not what you think an angel of God would look like. He wore a beige suit and tie.” She giggled in spite of herself. “I compared him to that old show ‘Fantasy Island’, but in reality, he looked like a minister or something. It was weird, but while he held me, he said that I still have something I have to do before I go home. I don’t know what it is, though.”
“You met an angel and he told you this?”
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t, I never said it, or for that matter; even thought it, Danielle,” Yvonne said softly. “Aside from that, whether you believe me or not, I’ve also been visited by an angel, and as strange as it may sound, you know him as well.”
“Who is it?”
“Andrew, you know, our new History teacher,” Yvonne said. “He’s been helping me deal with the abuse…” her voice trailed and she slapped her hand over her mouth as she realized that she had just said too much. She looked down at her lap, her face flushing, and she was unable to look her friend in the eye.
“Abuse?” Danielle looked at her friend. “Please, Yvonne, tell me what has happened to you. I want to help if I can.” As much as she tried, Danielle could not conceal her horror when she heard what her friend had just let slip.
“My mother’s boyfriend has been sexually abusing me,” she looked at her friend. “Andrew came to help me cope with it. I’m his assignment, and I guess when it’s all over, he’ll disappear as well.”
“Then, I guess that means that you’re basically alone in all this, aren’t you?” Danielle asked. The two girls stopped walking and Danielle turned and faced her friend. “Then I think I know what Adam meant by ‘unfinished business’. Come on, we’re going to see Andrew. Maybe he can help us. I’ll call my dad, and we can reschedule your appointment.” She pulled a mobile phone from her backpack. “He gave me this last year, but it’s only for emergencies. If I used it for other stuff, I’d be in trouble.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, it’s just because he and Mom are always working when I’m at school, but they also want to know if something comes up unexpectedly. So they got it for me with the stipulation that I only use it for emergencies. Besides that, these babies are pretty expensive and most of the kids at school would drive me nuts if they knew I had one,” she explained with a smile but dialed quickly.
When the line was picked up, she asked to speak to her father, and then within seconds, her father was on the line. “Dad, it’s Danielle. Something’s come up, we’re going back to the school and talk to one of the teachers there…”
“What’s up, Honey?” Yvonne could hear his voice through the line.
“It’s hard to explain, could you call Pastor Karl and schedule an appointment for us for tomorrow afternoon?” Danielle asked.
“This is about your friend, Yvonne, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but I’ll explain everything later, I promise,” Danielle said.
“OK, I’ll see you tonight, don’t be late,” he said. “Tell Yvonne to take care of herself, and I’ll see her tomorrow.”
“I won’t,” she said. “Thanks, Daddy, I love you.”
Once she hung up and returned the phone to her backpack, she could see that Yvonne was looking at her rather confused. “Danielle, what does all this mean?” she finally asked.
“Come on, I’ve still got some money left, we’ve got to get tickets for the bus and go back to the school before Andrew leaves,” Danielle said.
“Wait, he told me that if I needed him, that all I have to do is call him and he’ll come to me,” Yvonne said. “Maybe I should try.”
“OK, but let’s make ‘the call’ somewhere else. I know there’s a park not far from here, it’s a little more secluded than being out here. Besides, I really don’t like crowds all that much and it might cause some sort of riot if an angel appeared in the middle of it.”
Yvonne nodded and followed her friend in the direction of the park. A thousand different thoughts seemed to be spinning around in her mind; but the main one, was disbelief. Although she believed Danielle’s story about having seen an angel, she just couldn’t grasp the idea that someone as happy and as full of life as Danielle would be dying. As the two of them walked together, Yvonne’s thoughts began to center themselves on Danielle, rather than the complicating and turbulent circumstances she was forced to live under.
For the first time in a long time, Yvonne Hudson realized that there were actually people out there whose lot in life could be as bad if not worse than her own. Unfortunately, though she felt bad for her friend, her fears about her own situation were still there, and they were stronger than ever before, but her own internalized guilt seemed to foreshadow everything else. How could she even ask for help if her friend was faced with an illness and dying? It would be too selfish to unload this on Danielle, she thought to herself, and decided at that moment, that she would simply have to find a way to make the abuse as insignificant as she possibly could. In the back of her mind she wondered how much of this phony act Danielle would believe.
-*-*-*-
Ten minutes later, the two girls arrived at the park. “So do you need my phone?” Danielle chided trying to get Yvonne to smile.
“I don’t know, probably not,” Yvonne whispered, and it was obvious that she was nervous.
“Well, just say his name then, he should hear you,” Danielle said. “I mean, Adam said the same thing to me, if I needed him, I should just call out to him.”
Yvonne nodded and closed her eyes. “Andrew, I need to talk to you, please come find me,” Yvonne said softly. Within seconds, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. “You’re here?”
“Of course, I made a promise,” Andrew said gently and turned to face Danielle. “Hello Danielle.”
“Hi, Andrew,” she stammered and when she saw him in the same colors she had seen Adam wearing, she stepped back slightly, her nervousness evident.
“Don’t be afraid, I know Adam came to see you, he’s a friend of mine. Trust me, you’re in good hands,” Andrew said gently.
Danielle nodded, “I can’t forget, though.”
“I know, but you two girls are in a position where you will help each other through all of this,” he began.
Yvonne looked at him and then at Danielle. “Then what you told me about Adam was true? I mean I didn’t doubt you when you said you met him, but I guess I couldn’t believe that you were actually sick.”
Danielle nodded numbly, “I know, me neither, but yeah, it’s true.”
“I’ve never had any real friends,” Yvonne said softly. “And now that I find some, I learn that I’m going to loose them all.” She covered her face with her hands and shook her head helplessly. She sat down on a bench and tossed her backpack to the ground.
Danielle looked at Andrew. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told her.”
“No, she needed to know, and she would have eventually found out,” Andrew said gently.
“What am I supposed to do?” Danielle asked.
“Just keep doing what you’ve been doing,” Andrew replied as Yvonne looked up her face streaked with tears and she looked at Danielle.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I know I shouldn’t be so selfish, but I can’t help it, everyone I have ever loved has left me behind. My father left because he’s an alcoholic. I guess after the divorce, he felt lost and alone, and then when I told my mother about what had happened, she didn’t believe me.” She looked at Andrew, her face depicting the extent of her despair. “Why didn’t she believe me? What did I do that was so wrong that made her turn away from me when I needed her most?” Yvonne continued to cry. “I only want someone to tell me that I’m not at fault for all of this, that I didn’t cause it somehow.”
“You’re not and you didn’t,” Andrew said as he sat down next to her and rested his hand gently on her shoulder.
“We know it’s hard for you,” Danielle replied and looked at Andrew earnestly. “How are we going to get her out of this situation, Andrew?”
Andrew shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“I thought maybe the pastor at my church could help, and I asked my dad to call him, but I don’t know what he could do. I think we need even more help, but where can we get it? Adam said I don’t have much time. He didn’t say how much I had, but I somehow feel like my time is running out.” She looked at Andrew, but the angel did not confirm or deny her words, and she ended up squeezing her hands together nervously. “Andrew, please, tell us what we should do?”
“All you can do is turn this over to God,” he said simply.
“Yeah, I know, and believe me, I’ve prayed a lot since Adam came and told me that I was sick. But who can we go to that’s here, that can physically help Yvonne out of this situation now?” Danielle said softly. “There must be something we can do. I mean, I do believe in the power of prayer and all, but I also believe in reacting and trying. Let’s face it, God gives us a brain, and we use it solve our problems, but right now, I’m at a complete loss.”
Yvonne looked shamefaced at the two of them. Her thoughts were racing, and she finally looked at Danielle. “Maybe you should ask Adam what he thinks,” was all she said, but after some moments, the second girl shook her head.
“I don’t think that’s in his job description,” Danielle said softly.
Yvonne glanced over towards Andrew and shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to ask for his help, but didn’t know where to start. Finally, she spoke, her question emerging barely above a whisper. It was a question that had been on her mind since he had appeared in her bedroom after she had been abused. “I have a question, and I guess now is as good of a time to ask as any. Andrew, are you my guardian angel?”
“No, I’m not,” he said gently.
“I wish you were,” she said softly. “I was never really involved in church when I was little, it was after my parents divorced that I started attending church and got baptized, but nothing that I learned stuck with me. I was an outcast in the Sunday school class; I was alone much of the time. Then everything happened, Rick moved in, and everything turned upside down. I used to question why God made me this way, and why I must live with someone who hurts me. Now, I guess I deserve everything that happens to me. You know, the wrath of God and all those lessons from the church? This must be the reason; I’m an awful person. I wish you could make me not be such an appalling person.”
“You’re not awful or appalling,” Danielle offered weakly.
“I cannot change you, Yvonne, and I wouldn’t even want to. You must learn to love yourself, as God loves you. He would not punish you, but gives you the tools you need to grow from whatever you experience in life. You must never believe that He would turn away from you or that He is angry with you, because He’s not. You cannot be transformed from awful or appalling to good because like Danielle just said, you are neither of these.” He looked over at her, but when he saw her head was down, he took her chin in his hand and made her look deeply into his eyes. “Open your eyes and look at me. The truth is, you have to allow yourself the chance of accepting the person that you are. God didn’t just send me to you, Yvonne, he sent two other angels as well, and they, like me, care very deeply for you, as God does.”
“Two other angels?” Danielle asked with wide eyes.
“Yes.”
“Oh wow!” Danielle could not contain her awe as Andrew nodded. “Then, I’ll bet you one of them is that lady from the choir, the one that knocked a little sense in me the other day, oh what was her name?”
“Yes, you’re right, Danielle, her name is Tess,” he said.
“I knew there was something unusual about her,” Danielle said.
“But, I’m not worth it…” Yvonne whispered.
“God thinks you are, Yvonne,” Andrew said gently.
“But, how I can I get out of this situation at home?” she asked. “I mean, even if what you say is true, how can I go against my family?”
“You cannot go against your family, but you cannot continue to live as you have been,” Andrew began. “Yvonne, I’m going to tell you something that you need to hear. I am not a guardian angel; I am an Angel of Death. I take people home to God when their lives on Earth are through,” he began and looked at Danielle and answered her unasked question. “Yes, Danielle, I’m like Adam.”
“Am I going to die?” Yvonne asked her lips trembling and she looked at him, with fear in her expression. For the first time since this all started, she could understand the fear and uncertainty that Danielle was now living with.
“No,” he said gently and smiled. “It’s not yet your time, but unfortunately, there is a part of you that already has, in some ways, been killed. The abuse you have endured has robbed you of a part of your spirit, and we are here to make sure that you find it once again,” he explained. “Are you afraid of me though I’ve told you the truth about who I am?”
“I guess not, but I’m still scared of what’s going to happen to me. If my mother knew any of this, she’d kill me. She speaks endlessly about family loyalty, and even when I wanted to speak about what had happened to me, she made me so afraid that I couldn’t.”
“But, family loyalty goes both ways,” Danielle objected. “My parents are great, and though they work a lot and don’t always have time, they are there for me if I have a huge problem and need their help. I mean, they are as loyal to me as I am to them,” she paused looking at Andrew who sat and listened as she spoke her mind. “I know it says that we are supposed to ‘honor our parents’ like in the Ten Commandments, but shouldn’t our parents honor us as well, and make sure we, their children, don’t get hurt? I mean, I thought being a parent is supposed to be like a privilege, or an honor; not a reason to exploit or harm those they are supposed to protect,” Danielle continued, her voice becoming stronger indicating her anger.
“I’m scared,” Yvonne said softly. Though she could see the truth in her friend’s words, she was still worried about the situation she faced at home.
“I know,” Andrew said gently as Monica and Tess appeared next to them. He looked to Tess for some sort of guidance, and was happy when she offered it to the forlorn girl.
“We all know this, Yvonne, and we’re not just here to tell you that God loves you, and then take off,” Tess said causing both girls to turn abruptly around on the bench. “We’re here because we know you need our help. You need to live in a safe place, and be with people who care for you and who will not use you and cast you aside. We’re here to make sure you get that help.” She looked at Danielle and smiled approvingly down at her. “I think you have proven beyond any doubt that you’re a true friend, Danielle. God is proud of you.”
Yvonne looked at Tess, and then her gaze fell on Monica. “You’re all angels?”
“Yes,” Monica said gently.
“And you’re all here for me?”
“This should not be such a big surprise to you, Baby,” Tess said. “The road ahead is going to be rough, but God will be there for you if you put your trust in Him. For this reason, He sent us to help you through it.”
“Am I dreaming?” she asked.
“No, honey, you’re not, and we’re going to stay right here, just as I promised. You won’t be alone in this, your angels will be with you,” Andrew said softly.
“And for what it’s worth,” Danielle added. “I’ll be here as well. At least until…” her voice trailed off, but she suddenly felt Yvonne hugging her tightly.
“I’m counting on that,” she said, “and I’ll always do the same for you.”
Danielle nodded; she knew that this was something she would need more than anything else, the strength of a friend, even if at this moment, her friend was in her most vulnerable state.
“Andrew, you’re still there, aren’t you?” Yvonne whispered as she walked closer to the front door of the duplex where she lived.
“Yes, I’m here with you, we just got separated on the bus is all,” he said gently.
It had been about an hour since they had been at the park; Yvonne’s mind was racing as she got on the bus with him. He had changed, now he wore jeans and a beige sweater and it seemed as though he was now trying to work incognito. He no longer looked the part of an angel, but rather just a man, who was accompanying a young girl home from school. For some reason, Yvonne felt more comfortable with him when he looked like everyone else, maybe because it was more like he was her friend, and not an angel.
“You’re worried?” he said as she hesitated in front of the door.
“Yeah,“ she said softly.
“You know he won’t hurt you, not as long as I’m here,” Andrew said gently.
“I know, but…”
Andrew placed his hands on her shoulders and she looked up at him. “You can’t run away from it. I’m here, and if he tries to hurt you again, then I will make sure he won’t ever contemplate it again.”
She nodded, and with trembling hands, she unlocked the door.
Inside the apartment, Rick was sitting in the living room, a cigarette casually in his hand, and his back to Yvonne. They could both see the ring of smoke circling above his head, and she led Andrew into the dining room and they sat down at the table.
“Do you want anything?” she asked.
“Just sit down,” he said gently, “try to relax, you look so tense.”
“I am tense,” she said. “Ever since he moved in here, I’ve not eaten, or had a good night’s sleep.”
Andrew turned and could see that Rick had stubbed out his cigarette and was making his way towards the dining room.
“What’s going on here?” he asked and looked to Yvonne for some answers.
“T-this is my…” the words got stuck in her throat.
“History teacher,” Andrew finished for her. “We’re going to be looking over Yvonne’s History Fair project this afternoon, that’s why I’m here. My name is Andrew.”
“Andrew what?” Rick said evenly.
“Listen Rick, Andrew’s my friend, and he’s helping me with some stuff. The reason I’m late is because I met him and another friend after school, and we were talking about some stuff,” Yvonne said, somehow she had found her voice again. She did not say anything to Andrew about being angry, but somehow he got the impression that she did not like her mother’s boyfriend meddling and she wanted him to go away.
“While your mother’s at work, I’m in charge around here, got that?” Rick said, “and your friend, didn’t answer my question.”
“He doesn’t have to, he’s not on trial,” Yvonne said nervously. “Please, Rick, just leave us alone, OK?”
“Your mother won’t be pleased with your attitude,” he said.
“And I’m sure you’re going to tell her, huh?” Yvonne said curtly, but before she could speak further, Andrew reached over and put his hand on her arm. When she looked over at him, she could see him shaking his head slightly. She looked down at her notebook unable to say anything.
Andrew looked up and spoke; “Actually, I wouldn’t say that Yvonne necessarily has an attitude, considering what she’s been through.”
“What are you saying?”
“I think you know perfectly well what I’m saying, Rick,” Andrew replied, his voice stronger and more certain than Yvonne had ever heard it.
“I want you out of here,” Rick snarled.
Andrew reached for Yvonne’s hand and stood up, “will you show me out, Yvonne?”
She looked down, but after a few seconds, she nodded weakly. He’s leaving; she swallowed; now I’m in for it. I shouldn’t have spoken to Rick this way, now it will go all the worse.
At the door, she glanced around and could see Rick keeping his distance. Andrew stood in the doorway and looked down into her frightened face. “I’m always with you, Yvonne, don’t forget, OK?” he whispered only loudly enough that she could hear.
“I shouldn’t have done that, Andrew, he’s going to take it out on me now,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Shhh, everything’s going to be OK,” he said, his voice filled with compassion. “Remember what I really am, Yvonne, I’m more than just a History teacher, I’m also your friend and I won’t leave you to fight this battle alone.”
Yvonne nodded and once he had walked through the door, she closed it behind him, her hand resting against the wood frame, her head down.
“Now then,” she could hear Rick’s voice, and she turned around to see that he had unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt.
Yvonne cowered in front of the door, and when she saw him coming closer, she curled herself up into a little ball, her fear evident and she trembled in fright. Getting her wits about her, she tried to crawl away from him, but as she did, everything went black, the ‘Chronic Fatigue’ had struck again, and when she woke again, she was lying on her bed and the room was empty.
What happened, she asked herself, as she sat up in her bed. When she looked over towards the window, she could see the same white light she had seen when Andrew had come to her the first day they met. Standing in this light was the young female angel, the pretty auburn headed lady. “What happened? Who are you?”
“My name is Monica. You passed out when Rick tried to hurt you,” she said. “Your mother came in after you fell asleep and saw Rick and what he was trying to do to you.” She shook her head sadly.
“Where’s Andrew?” Yvonne asked. “I thought he was going to be with me.”
“He came back to protect you, Yvonne,” Monica said gently. “But, what he saw hurt him so deeply, that he asked me to come see you and make sure you were OK. He feels guilty for what has happened, so much so that he cried.”
“But, it’s not his fault,” Yvonne said softly. “Please, I don’t know what to do, I want to see him.”
“It’s all out of your hands now, Yvonne. Franklin Jensen and his wife are going to take care of you, they will make sure Rick never hurts you again,” Monica said gently.
“You mean I will be staying with Danielle and her parents?”
Monica nodded, “you’ll be safe there, they will make sure of it.”
“What about my mother?”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to her, but you have to take care of yourself now, and you must believe that your mother will do the same for herself,” Monica said gently.
Yvonne nodded and crawled out of bed, her entire body felt tense and sore, and she was dizzy. “Monica, how did I end up in here? The last thing I remember was being in the living room against a corner.”
“Adam was here, and he brought you to your room.”
“Danielle’s angel was here?” Yvonne asked.
Monica nodded, “he’s dressed as one of the policemen. Anyway, he kind of acts as Andrew’s stand-in when Andrew can’t fulfill what he needs to. Adam knew that you needed a lot of extra help, so he was happy to help you, just as Andrew is trying to help Danielle.”
“She’s really going to die, isn’t she?” Yvonne asked.
Monica nodded sadly. “I know this is hard for you.”
“When all this is over, you’re going to be gone, Andrew’s going to be gone,” she began to cry in earnest. “What am I going to do then?”
“Turn over all your troubles to God, Yvonne, He’s there for you, and won’t let you fall,” Monica said gently, she squeezed the hand of the young girl. “Your days of being a victim are over, you now must begin to heal.”
Within seconds, a knock was on Yvonne’s door, and when she glanced up she realized that Monica had disappeared. Standing up, she made her way towards the closed door. Before she opened it, she began to pray. “God, it’s me, Yvonne. Please help me make it though all of this. Please God; give me some of your strength. And please tell Andrew that he doesn’t have any reason to feel guilty about me. Tell him please that I love him and need him. My angel…I need him now more than ever…” She glanced up and wiped the tears from her eyes. Her prayer said, she opened the door and looked into the sympathetic blue eyes of a female social worker.
“Yvonne, pack whatever you need, Sweetheart, you’re being taken to a friend,” the woman said.
“What about my sisters?” she asked.
“They’ve already been sent away. I’ll give the Jensen’s the number for where they are staying and you can call them when you get settled.”
Yvonne nodded and began to pack her belongings. All the while, she kept looking up to see if Andrew had come, when she didn’t see him, she continued packing. This time, she no longer felt unloved by him; she felt guilty for the pain she subjected this gentle angel to. She hoped from the depths of her soul, that he could forgive her for this. “It’s all my fault! Andrew, please wherever you are, I love you, please forgive me, and take care of yourself.”
“How is she doing?” Andrew asked Monica after she had returned from seeing Yvonne.
“She’s in a lot of pain. She needs you,” Monica said.
“I know, I heard her,” he said, “but how can I go to her and tell her that I let her down? I told her I wouldn’t let him hurt her, and he did; much worse than what I had seen before. I had promised her that I would be there for her.”
“That’s why you must go to her, now, Angel Boy,” Tess said simply. “It will be through speaking to her, that your wounded spirit will heal,” a pause, but before Andrew could speak, she put her hand on his shoulder. “Yvonne is stronger than you think, and she will help you as much as you have helped her. Just as her circumstances will help Danielle find a sort of goal contrary to what she will soon be facing.”
Andrew wiped his face with a handkerchief and he nodded. “Father, give me the strength to face this head-on.”
Within moments he had disappeared leaving Tess and Monica alone. “Is he going to see her?” Monica asked.
“Yes, I think he is, but I didn’t get a chance to tell you how proud I am of the way you handled that, Miss Wings. Good job,” Tess said.
“It was hard, Tess,” was all Monica could say. “She really does have the strength within, doesn’t she?”
“And she’s going to need every single last ounce of it, too,” Tess affirmed. “Not only to help Andrew, but also to help fulfill Danielle’s last wish.”
“Her wish?”
“Danielle wants Yvonne to take her place,” Tess said gently.
“Her place?” Monica objected.
“Yes, by having Yvonne move in with her family, is Danielle’s way of making sure her parents won’t be alone after she’s gone,” Tess said.
-*-*-*-
It was some two hours since Yvonne went to live with Danielle’s family. The house was now dark; the family had gone to bed, leaving Yvonne alone in a large guest room, which in the days to come would be converted, into a room for her.
She laid her teddy bear on the bed. As she looked down at it, she spoke. “You know, Teddy, I need to pick you a name.”
“Why not name him Andrew?” a voice emerged and she turned around and saw Danielle standing in the doorway. “Do you like your room?”
Yvonne nodded, “yeah, and your parents are really nice too. You’re very lucky.”
“I don’t know, maybe,” Danielle said. “You can’t sleep either?”
“Something happened, something dreadful, but I don’t know what. Danielle, remember when I told you that Andrew would always be there for me. When I woke up back at the duplex, Monica was there. She told me that Andrew had cried because of what had happened to me.”
“I know, Adam told me about it, I was just talking to him and I asked him where he was, cause he showed up in a police uniform,” Danielle said softly. “It scared me at first cause I’ve never seen him in such attire. Anyway, he knew I was scared for you.”
“You’ve been such a good friend to me, I want to give some back, but I don’t know where to start,” Yvonne said weakly.
“You’ll get your chance, believe me. You know, Yvonne, I’m really scared. Even talking to Adam or Andrew, it doesn’t completely take away the fear I have. I’m not really afraid of death, but I am afraid of dying.”
Yvonne nodded. “People our age don’t usually think about things like that. But, you said before that you believe in God, so maybe that should comfort you somewhat.”
“What about you?” Danielle asked sitting down on the bed and reaching for Yvonne’s teddy bear. Once she held him, she began to run her hands across his furry head.
“I guess I do, I prayed today that God would give me strength and asked Him to tell Andrew how important he is to me, and I fear whether or not He did tell him. I can only hope that Andrew knows that I’m not hurt by his actions, but that I feel guilty for them and that someone as gentle and kind as Andrew would…” As her voice trailed off, she covered her face in her hands and allowed the tears to stream down her cheeks.
“Would…?” Danielle asked, but before she could finish her question, she noticed that Andrew was now standing next to the bed, his sad eyes regarding both girls, the depth of his sadness immeasurable. Danielle nodded and stood up realizing that they needed to speak alone. “I just remembered, I have to go brush my teeth, I’ll be right back.” She smiled at Andrew and left the room closing the door gently behind her.
Before Yvonne could say anything, Danielle was gone, and she looked up to see Andrew standing in her room. “He did answer.” She crawled off the bed and ran over to him and practically knocked him off his feet in a backbreaking hug. “Andrew, you’re here.”
The angel, though miserable, nodded and returned her hug.
“But, you’re still unhappy?” she said and could see the tears in his eyes.
“Yes,” he said softly and the two of them sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Because of me?”
“No, because I made another mistake, Yvonne,” he said, and she could see that his shoulders were slumped and his usually cheerful expression was shadowed with remorse.
“Andrew, it’s not your fault. I don’t even know what happened or what you saw. I fell asleep, and then I woke up and Monica was there and she told me you were unhappy, and I felt so bad for you. I couldn’t stand the thought that someone as kind and loving as you, would be sad because of me.”
“Not because of you, Yvonne,” he said softly.
“Then why?”
“It broke my heart what I saw happening to you. My friends helped when I couldn’t,” he said softly, his guilt overshadowing every other emotion he had. “Adam and Monica, they knew that seeing you hurt was more than I could bare. I shouldn’t have left you to endure it alone, I should have been there, I should have helped you like I promised.”
Yvonne felt her eyes filling with tears. “Remember when we first met, it was that afternoon after school?” He nodded and she continued. “I had left my books in the classroom and while in there, I fell asleep. You came over and I guess you put the jacket underneath my head.”
“I remember because after you woke up, you said that people were not usually very kind to you,” he said.
“Yeah, but you insisted that I was worthy of God’s love, and in the last days, you made me believe it. I prayed for the first time because I was afraid I had hurt you. I asked God to let you know that I love you, and that there was much more that I wanted to tell you and I needed a chance to do so,” she looked down at her lap. “All the pain I endured wasn’t so bad, as long as I knew that you were there for me, and that you reminded me of God, and that I’m His child. Can you imagine how much those words mean to me? How much they made me feel not so lost and alone in all of this. Andrew, I was ready to give up on everything, my beliefs, even my life. If I hadn’t have met you when I did, I would probably have considered suicide.” She could see a look of horror on the angel’s face. “I know you wouldn’t want me to do that, but it’s been so hard, and I didn’t know how much strength I had left. I didn’t know I could ask God to strengthen me. I was afraid to even ask Him for help. Then when I didn’t see you in my room back at the duplex, I was worried about you and wanted only to know that you were OK; so I prayed.”
“You put too much emphasis on me,” he began.
“No, I don’t, you’re more than an angel to me, Andrew, you’re my friend,” she said. “You’ve been a far better friend to me, than I have been to you.”
“How can you say that?” he asked weakly.
“Because you helped me when I was at my weakest, but I couldn’t help you when you were,” she said and looked up at him, her brown eyes filling with tears. “I feel useless as a friend. I’ve been accepting all this help from you and Danielle, but I haven’t given anything back, and I want to,” she closed her eyes and began to pray, her words emerging loud enough so that he could hear them. “Please, God, let me do that, let me feel like I know what a friendship is!”
As her prayer ended and she opened her eyes, she could see that he had tears streaming down his cheeks. She reached over and grabbed a box of tissues from off the nightstand and pulled four of them out of the box. Two she handed to him. The other two, she blew her nose and she sat silently and waited for him to say something.
When he finally did, his voice was soft, more ragged than any she had ever heard. “You are a good friend, Yvonne.”
“Then talk to me. I mean, you saw what happened, I experienced it, but don’t remember, and if I can at least speak honestly to you, then you can do the same with me,” she said softly.
Andrew sighed deeply, but began to speak, his voice wavering. “He hurt you again, and I stood and watched, unable to do anything. Then your mother came inside, and she began to scream. I think she saw me, Yvonne, standing there, watching, unable to move. I couldn’t even protect you from this...“ his voice trailed. “After that everything happened pretty quickly. One of the neighbors heard a lot of yelling, and they called the police who in turn, called the social workers.”
Yvonne could feel the tears in her eyes and though this happened to her, she could feel sympathy for her friend for having witnessed it. She looked at him solemnly and waited for him to continue.
“By this time, I was so horrified with what I had seen. I couldn’t do anything,” he whispered. “I called to Adam, to come help you, and so he did. Then I asked Monica to talk to you after you woke up, because I couldn’t face you. She told me afterwards that I should have gone to you, and that you had asked about me, but I feel so badly for having abandoned you again.”
“I know, she told me,” Yvonne said softly. “After she left, I prayed.”
“I know,” he smiled weakly.
“But where did you go?” she asked. “Were you alone?”
“No, I went and talked to Danielle. She went to her parents and told them that she thought something was wrong. They agreed that you should come here. Once Frank had called the social workers, I went to speak to Tess,” Andrew said softly.
“Then this was your idea?”
“In part, Danielle actually thought of it first,” he said but could still feel the tears in his eyes. He looked over at her and shrugged his shoulders.
Yvonne crawled over to him and wrapped her arms around him. She could somehow feel the extent of how helpless he felt in his weakened state. “Andrew?”
“Yes?”
“Do angels cry?”
“Sometimes, when we are very sad, we do,” he said.
“Then maybe you should,” she whispered. “I’ve got lots of tissues, and my teddy is here. I named him after you, and he’s always been a good comforter to me when I needed him.”
He looked at her, his green eyes filled with sorrow, but he was unable to speak.
“I’m also here,” she said softly and after a few moments, she could feel his arms encircling her, she looked at him and could see the tears beginning to stream from under his eyes. She held as tightly to him as she could, and as she began to feel the moistness of his tears, she smiled weakly. “Thank you, God, for giving me the strength to be a real friend.”
Her prayer spoken, she continued to hold him and eventually, she could feel the tears in her own eyes; and it was then that both the angel and the human girl wept.
-*-*-*-
From the doorway, Danielle smiled weakly and turned back to face Adam, who was now standing next to her. “Are they both going to be OK now, Adam?”
“I think so,” he said simply.
“I’m glad,” she began to breath heavily, her head beginning to spin. “Adam, what’s happening?” She could feel herself starting to give out, and it frightened her.
“It’s starting, Danielle,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”
“No, I’m not ready yet,” she gasped.
Instead of speaking further, Adam walked into Yvonne’s room. “Andrew, Yvonne; Danielle needs you both.”
Yvonne looked up and immediately recognized Adam, “what is it?”
“Yvonne, you have to go and get Danielle’s parents. She’s got to get to the hospital or she will die, tonight,” Adam said softly.
Yvonne nodded and she left him and Andrew in the hallway. She went down the hall to the Jensen’s bedroom and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she entered the room and approached the bed where the parents of her friend slept. She touched his shoulder, “Mr. Jensen, Mrs. Jensen, please wake up. Something’s happened, it’s Danielle! She’s sick!!”
Franklin Jensen was up within seconds and when he saw the hysterical state of his daughter’s friend, he reached over and shook his wife gently, but firmly, “Dory, call 911, I’ll see what I can do until the ambulance comes.”
Dory nodded and jumped out of bed and reached for the phone.
“Come with me, Yvonne, and try to calm down,” Danielle’s father said once they had stepped out into the hallway. Yvonne knew the moment they had come out of the bedroom, that Adam and Andrew were now invisible to Doctor Jensen, because both were dressed in their suits, and Adam was now on the floor next to Danielle, his voice whispering assurances into her ear. Yvonne could still see them both, but she was more afraid for Danielle. She also did not want to startle her friend’s father with the fact that two Angels of Death were now standing in the hallway of their house.
Yvonne looked at Andrew, and when she saw him standing just behind Danielle’s father, she smiled sadly, grateful that he was there, even in his weakened state. After Franklin had moved Danielle back to her room, Andrew joined Yvonne out in the hall.
“It’s not her time yet, is it?” Yvonne whispered.
“Close, but no,” Andrew said softly. “Don’t worry, Adam will stay with her.”
“Yvonne, why don’t you go into the living room and sit down, you can let us know when the ambulance gets here, OK?” Dory Jensen suggested as she came down the hall. “I’ll be in with her and her dad. Try not to worry, OK.”
Yvonne nodded, “I’ll try.”
Dory disappeared inside Danielle’s room.
Once she and Andrew stepped out into the living room, she turned to Andrew. “How can she be so calm about all this?”
“I think because Dory is married to a doctor, and she’s used to helping her husband with emergencies,” Andrew said gently. “Internally, she may be screaming.”
Yvonne nodded, “I’m scared for Danielle.”
“I know you are,” he paused sighing deeply. “Yvonne, why don’t we pray together?” Andrew offered her his hand. “It might help.”
Yvonne took his hand and they got down on their knees in front of the sofa and Andrew began to speak.
“Dear Father, please take care of your child, Danielle, give her the strength to fight, and give her parents the strength to overcome and let go when the time comes for them to do so. Give your child, Yvonne, the strength she’ll need in overcoming every adversity she will face in the coming weeks and months. We ask that you help restore our faith and give us the gift of spiritual healing and forgiveness. In your name…we pray.”
“Amen,” Yvonne whispered as Andrew finished speaking. She could feel that he had squeezed her hand and they both opened their eyes.
Moments later, Yvonne got up off the floor when she heard a loud knock at the door some moments later. She ran to open it. Two paramedics were standing outside. Before they could say anything, she spoke as she backed away from the door allowing them access to the house. “Down the hall, there’s a light, you can’t miss it.”
Without a word, the paramedics ran through the living room and down the hall. She returned to where Andrew sat on the sofa and waited. Having prayed, she felt a little better, but what made her feel lucky was the fact that she had one of God’s angels sitting right next to her.
It was a long night for Yvonne, after Danielle was taken to the hospital, Frank drove her and Dory to the hospital for the long wait. Yvonne went into the small waiting room near the emergency room and sat down. Across the room, she could see older couples, and teenagers, as well as expectant fathers and small children. Even though, all these people were waiting for some sort of medical assurances, she sat alone after Danielle’s parents had gone into conference with the doctor.
She glanced over to the doorway leading outside and noticed that Andrew had come inside and sat down next to her, this time he was visible to everyone present, and it appeared as though he was Yvonne’s older brother, rather than an angel.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said softly. “But, I was wondering if you were feeling any better about that other thing? I mean, did the crying help?”
“A little,” he said smiling weakly at her. “What about with you?”
“I don’t know, I guess I didn’t think about it much after Danielle collapsed in the hallway,” she said softly.
“Why were you so worried about me?” he asked. “It’s obvious that you have other things on your mind.”
“It’s hard for me to see one of my friends sad,” she said softly.
“Remember when we talked the first day, and I told you that it made me sad to see you treated that way?” he asked.
She looked down, “I remember. When you said that, I almost started crying.”
Andrew nodded, “I know.”
“I can’t believe I’m sitting in a hospital waiting to see how my friend is doing,“ she said sadly and looked at him. “She’s really going to die, isn’t she?”
“I’m sorry,” he said nodding slowly.
“I don’t blame you, but the time; it was so short. Danielle and I were friends for such a brief time, four days max. Today, she told me about Adam, and now I’m more afraid for her than I am for myself,” she said softly. “She told me that she knew that she had ‘unfinished business’ to attend to, and she seemed to imply that it centered around me.”
“What do you believe?”
“I don’t know anymore,” Yvonne said softly. “I guess I sort of think it does. But it scares me to think that she wants to do for me before she dies. I thought she should do for herself.”
“Maybe inadvertently, she is. Perhaps she feels that by helping you will give her a sense of worth or accomplishment,” Andrew said gently. “She cares for you.”
“I know, but I can’t believe all that is happening,” she whispered. “My friend is dying. I never thought such a thing could happen.”
“Yvonne, what do you think about when you think of death?” Andrew asked after some moments of silence passed between them.
“I’m 12 years old, I guess I never thought much about it,” she said softly.
“You said back at the house that you had considered suicide, so you must have thought something about it,” Andrew gently remarked.
“I guess what made me decide not to, was I was afraid that God wouldn’t forgive me for it, and because it scares me.” She looked at Andrew earnestly. “Death scares me, Andrew, just thinking about Danielle and what she said, I couldn’t help but admire her courage. I guess because I’m such a terrible coward.”
“You’re not a coward, but did you ever think about the fact that death isn’t an end, but rather a beginning? It’s the beginning of a new and glorious journey,” he said gently.
“I guess you talk to a lot of people about this topic, huh?”
Andrew smiled and nodded. “I have and I also have encountered a great number of people who have seen death as something dark and terrible, but it’s not that way at all. I won’t lie to you; it’s not an easy topic to discuss, and my job isn’t exactly easy, especially when it involves a child.”
Yvonne looked at him, “why do you do it?”
“Because for me, it’s an honor to bring His children home,” he said, his voice soft.
“Even if it’s really hard for you?” she asked.
“It is through my faith that I am able to continue,” he said. “Perhaps, in knowing this, it will help you in your own healing, Yvonne.”
“Will you stay?” she asked and began to pick lint from her skirt.
“I made a promise to you,” he said. “I’ll be here, you mustn’t worry about that, Yvonne.”
“I’ll try not to,” she said softly. “But, shouldn’t you be with Danielle, maybe she needs you. I mean, I would feel better if you would go to her.”
“Are you certain?” he asked.
“Uh-huh, besides, there’s the doctor, and he seems to be coming this way,” Yvonne said softly.
“OK,” he smiled gently. “Just call me if you need me.” He stood up and walked slowly towards the door leading out into the hallway. Once he was out of the sight of the people in the waiting room, he disappeared.
Yvonne was left alone for some moments and she closed her eyes. Her thoughts were a jumble.
“Excuse me, are you Yvonne Hudson?” the young doctor she had seen when she was speaking with Andrew was now standing near the row of chairs where she was sitting and was looking down at her. She glanced up and could see that the clock on the wall behind him read 2 am.
“How is she doing, Doctor?”
“She’s going to be OK, for now, but she’s got Leukemia, and is very sick,” the doctor said. “Her parents are in my office right now and they are trying to make heads and tails of all of this that has transpired over the last couple of hours. Why don’t you come with me?”
“OK,” she said softly and stood up.
At the door to his office the doctor led her inside, and she looked at the parents of her friend. When their eyes met those of Dory Jensen, she almost started crying. She had never seen so much love radiating in a mother’s face, and sadly it wasn’t even her own mother. She looked at Danielle’s father, he sat on the sofa almost stoic. She wondered what the thoughts going through his head were.
To one side, Monica stood invisible to the others, but watching. Tess stood next to her. “Where’s Andrew?”
“He’s with Adam and Danielle,” Tess said.
“Tess, what’s going to happen?” Monica asked.
“You know as much as I do, Miss Wings,” was all Tess said. “You also know what you must do in times like this.”
-*-*-*-
Yvonne remained in the cramped office and after some time, she fell asleep. When she awoke, she could see the light from outside filtering in through the window.
Franklin was sitting next to her, and he regarded her with a friendly, but tired smile. “Maybe this Chronic Fatigue Syndrome isn’t such a bad thing after all. How are you doing, Yvonne?”
“OK,” she said softly. “Where is everyone?”
“Dory went to get a cup of coffee, and the doctor went to check on Danielle. He said that she’s awake now, and is very calm about everything. I don’t know why, but she seems to be taking the news very well.”
“Mr. Jensen?”
“Call me Frank, Yvonne, and you can call my wife Dory. We’re friends, and we’re going to help you regardless of what has happened here,” he smiled down at her.
Yvonne nodded. “I know why Danielle is calm about this, because she knew about it. She knew that she was sick, but she didn’t want to say anything to you about it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Before all the stuff with me happened last night, Danielle told me that she was very sick yesterday afternoon.” As Yvonne spoke, she felt in her mind the need to scream for Andrew to come see her, but then rejected this idea because Andrew was with Danielle, and she needed him more. “She told me about something rather extraordinary that happened to her, but made me swear not to tell you about it.”
“Let me take a wild guess, an angel, or perhaps two?” Frank asked.
“How did you know?” she asked.
“Well, let me tell you a little story. When I was 15, my three buddies and I were in a car accident. Two of them died, I scraped by with some minor injuries, and the other guy went into some sort of living care type of place, a sort of hospice. Anyway, he was pretty much a vegetable from then on. Right after it happened, I had a sort of out of body experience. I could see myself from a distance, but was standing next to this man in a white colored suit and was watching as two Angels of Death took those two guys to Heaven. Anyway, he informed me that it wasn’t my time yet,” he turned to Yvonne and looked deeply in her eyes. “Yvonne, this same man was with you for much of the evening. I heard him speaking to you, and I know that he’s been trying to help you to cope with everything. He’s been giving you the encouragement you need, hasn’t he?”
“You don’t think I’m crazy?” she asked.
“No, Yvonne, I don’t. You must understand and accept that there are a lot of people out there that believe as we do, even though they have not encountered it as of yet.” He pulled a small rubber stamp from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. “For example, I found this at the gift shop for you while you were sleeping.”
She looked down at the wooden surface of the stamp and could see the words neatly etched there: ‘I Believe in Angels’. She could see an angel on the other side, stars and clouds completing the stamp and giving it a beautiful background. He handed her a blue inkpad, and put a piece of paper on the desk. She opened the inkpad and pressed the stamp gently into the ink. She pressed the stamp against the paper’s surface and when she pulled the stamp away, the image appeared on the paper and she looked down at it.
“My pastor from church said that since I was in that accident, I was open and receptive to these kinds of things. Most people cannot see an angel when they don’t wish to be seen, but I can, and the angels both know that. I guess they can sort of sense it when dealing with people.”
“What about Dory? Can she see them?”
“No, she cannot, and I would appreciate it if you would keep this to yourself. I don’t want to frighten her with this. She’s not as strong in the faith and the church as I am. I guess you could say that the accident changed me; it made a believer out of me. Andrew gives you the feeling that you’re not alone out there. The world can be a pretty cruel place, as you have lived through some pretty horrible things. But, this should also show you that God doesn’t abandon those he loves. He’s there for them, no matter what happens.”
“So that means, you saw Andrew and Adam in the hallway at your house?”
Frank nodded, “yes, and I heard you talking to Andrew in your room as well as when you both prayed for Danielle and us. That prayer calmed me a great deal, Yvonne,” he said, and there was appreciation in his eyes.
“But, it wasn’t from me. Andrew was the one that said it,” she said softly.
“No, but you bowed your head and closed your eyes, didn’t you?” he asked and once she nodded, he continued. “It’s like being led in prayer at church,” he smiled. “Your thoughts and feelings were there regardless of who was doing the talking. I mean, you could have made the same prayer in your own words, couldn’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Then there you go,” he said and smiled.
Two weeks later, Danielle returned home from the hospital. Yvonne had been three times to see a Social Worker and it looked as though she was going to loose any and all contact with her mother and sisters, none of which she had seen since the night Yvonne went to live with the Jensen family. She started to lose hope again, and added to that, Andrew was no longer at the school and she had not seen him since. She figured that it was OK, because he was with Danielle, but Yvonne was increasingly sad. On this particular afternoon, she was supposed to go that and speak with the police as well as a psychologist about what she had endured, but she was still afraid.
She missed Andrew so much that she started to carry the stamp Frank had given her everywhere she went.
“The food was terrible, but other than that, it was kind of neat,” Danielle was saying as Yvonne came out of her room. “I got flowers and presents from a bunch of kids at school, and even the teachers have been really nice about it.”
“Hi, Danielle,” Yvonne greeted her.
“Hey, how goes it?” Danielle asked cheerfully.
“OK, I guess,” she said. “How are you?”
“Well, I’ve had better days,” Danielle said softly smiling. She turned to her mother. “Can I please have some chocolate cake now?”
Her mother nodded and left the living room.
“I had to get her out of here, specifically when I talk about the ‘a’ word,” Danielle said in a voice that indicated that she was part of a conspiracy.
“Andrew, Adam, or angels?” Yvonne whispered.
“All three,” Danielle said. “Do you know those two were at my bedside the whole time I was in the hospital? Then my dad came in and totally blew his cover. I used to call him ‘Doctor Dad’ and when I saw what happened, it really made me laugh.”
“What happened?”
“Andrew was sitting by my bed and my dad came in and was going to sit in the same seat, and then he looked Andrew directly in the eyes and said ‘pardon me’, and went and got one of those flat back chairs,” Danielle said. “Andrew explained that he knew my dad from another time, but it still caught both of them off guard. You should have seen the look the nurse gave my dad. She didn’t see Andrew or Adam at all though they were always there. It was wild.”
“I haven’t seen any of them since you went in,” Yvonne said softly. “I kind of miss Andrew, too.”
“Yeah, and I’ve got to admit, I really am surprised that he spent so much time with me. I mean, I do feel better about that other thing, but still I thought about you a lot, and figured that Andrew should have been with you to help you cope a little bit.”
When Yvonne looked at her, all Danielle had to do was nod and Yvonne knew that her friend was beginning to accept the fact that she was dying. “I managed,” she answered meekly.
“How was it all?”
“I haven’t seen my mother at all, the last thing I heard was that she got fired from her job, and well, Rick is still behind bars where he belongs, but for how long, I don’t know. I wonder about my sisters and now I have to go to the police station and fill out a report.”
“Should I come with you?”
“That’s out of the question, Danielle,” her mother’s voice interjected. “You just came home from the hospital, you’re weak, tired and have to eat this chocolate cake which I just cut for you.”
“But Mom…” her voice trailed.
“Listen, Honey, I know you’re worried, but your father will go with Yvonne,” Dory said. “Everything is going to be fine, but Yvonne, you’d better scoot, Frank’s waiting for you outside.”
“Thanks,” Yvonne said softly and walked towards the front door. She turned back and faced Danielle, and then after a moment, she felt someone’s hand on her shoulder. She turned around and realized that Andrew was now standing next to her and had started to whisper comforting words to her. She smiled weakly at him and left the house closing the door behind her.
“Sorry I haven’t been to see you these last two weeks,” he said when they got outside.
“Don’t worry about it,” she said softly. “I know you’ve probably been pulling a double shift, I mean hanging out with Danielle at the hospital and then you probably have other assignments, too.”
Andrew smiled; he could not help but marvel at the girl’s ability to look out for other people and not focus on her own circumstances. “Actually, if you put it that way, Yvonne, you’re my ‘assignment’, but I was with Danielle because that was what you wanted, right?” He smiled at her.
Yvonne nodded, “yeah, I thought she might need your help more than I did.”
“Very unselfish of you,” he said.
“She’s my friend, I couldn’t have done otherwise,” Yvonne said shrugging her shoulders.
“How have you been doing?”
“OK, but right now, I’m a little nervous, afraid, but I feel stronger, somehow,” she said. “Two weeks ago, I thought I couldn’t get through without you, but I’ve done OK and all I had to do was think of you, and I would feel better. Then I would pray, and I’d feel even stronger than that. Does that make any sense?”
“Yes, a lot more than you realize,” came his answer.
“I mean it’s so nice that you’re back. I’ve missed you, Andrew. Frank knew this, and he gave me this the morning after Danielle was taken to the hospital.” She pulled the stamp out of her pocket and handed it to him.
He smiled when he read the words and handed it back to her.
“I guess I should get this over with,” Yvonne said softly as Frank called out to both of them.
“Come on you two, quit dawdling. Our appointment’s for four o’clock this afternoon not for tomorrow morning.”
Andrew smiled, “come on, I guess this means I’m supposed to go with you.” He reached over and took her hand in his and together, they walked to the car.
Yvonne crawled into the back seat and Andrew climbed into the front and sat next to Frank.
-*-*-*-
Forty-five minutes after they arrived at the police station, Yvonne emerged from the station, a wad of tissues in her hand and tears streaming down her cheeks. “They didn’t believe me either,” she cried. “They thought I was crazy and that I had made everything up.”
“No Yvonne, that was just the lawyers for Rick Watson, they will always try to make the victim look like the guilty party,” Frank said and he looked at Andrew who looked as though he was unable to comprehend all of what had transpired. All he could was shake his head in disbelief.
“But they attacked me, they said I was a tramp and that I was asking for trouble because of the way I was dressed. Why do they do stuff like that? I didn’t ask for it,” Yvonne said bitterly.
“We know,” Andrew said gently.
She looked down at her feet. “But, you saw what happened to me, Andrew, you saw it! Does that look like something that a person would willingly ask for?”
The angel rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly, “No, it doesn’t.”
“Come on, let’s go home,” Frank finally said gently. “We can’t go off on these ignorant people, we have to find someone who will represent you, and I think I’ve got just the person. I have this old friend from college who is a lawyer, and he owes me a favor.” He patted Yvonne’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t worry, Yvonne, we’re going to get through this. Just don’t give up.”
She nodded and followed, but she had already started to give up. Andrew seemed to have the same sort of thoughts going through his head, because he remained silent as well. The two of them got in the car without saying a word, and Frank drove them back to his house.
When they got there, Yvonne climbed out of the car without saying a word and walked alone across the grass.
“I’m glad you’re here with her,” Frank said softly. “That child is so scarred that I wouldn’t even know how to even start getting her to talk to me. I can’t very well say I understand, because I don’t, and this kind of thing just makes me so mad that I lose all my sense of reason.”
“I saw her get abused, Frank,” Andrew said softly. “I don’t think I will ever forget what happened to her. It’s affecting every single aspect of her life. I know she’s trying to be strong, for Danielle, but I also know she’s afraid, and hurting. She refuses to speak of her situation; all she does is worry about Danielle. It’s as though she has something to distract her from what she’s facing.”
“I know, you’re right, because I see it in her,” Frank said softly. “I wish there was something I could do. Every time I look at her, I can’t help but see someone who is completely lost and aimlessly wandering. The other day, she was in the kitchen, and when Dory asked her what she wanted, she said that she forgot and walked slowly out, only to come back five minutes later. When Dory asked again, Yvonne shrugged her shoulders and walked out again. I can tell you this, Yvonne is a great actress, but the curtain call is coming, I can almost feel it. I only wish she would allow us to get close to her and help her.”
“She feels ashamed, and this shame goes directly to the core of her being. She’s lost her innocence, and this is the most horrible thing that could happen to a child. I know for a fact that she won’t let you get too close to her, she’s afraid of that closeness, even though that is what she needs the most. I’m afraid Danielle’s health issue is the only thing that is keeping Yvonne from experiencing the full extent of her own internalized pain. I believe she feels that you should be concentrating on Danielle, and Yvonne is using Danielle as an excuse to block those feelings,” Andrew said gently.
“I know that is what she thinks, but still, there has to be some way to get this girl to talk to us.”
“Let me see if I can do something for her,” Andrew said softly.
“You’re probably the only one here that could get her to come out of her shell. But, at the same time, you’ve done so much already,” Frank said. “I really don’t know how she would have made it this far without your friendship. I know she has a great deal of inner strength, but I think she really needs to realize that there are other people out there who really want to help her, and she should not always center her attention on the struggles of others, but rather to focus on her own problems.”
“You’re right, but it won’t be that easy,” Andrew said softly.
“I’m not counting on it to be easy,” Frank said. “And after today, it may be an uphill climb.
The weeks passed quickly, Danielle’s condition continued to worsen and she was getting weaker and weaker. Her parents finally had no choice but to take her out of school and hire a nurse to take care of her during the day.
Yvonne continued to watch over her friend, her emotions centered only on Danielle and the struggles her parents faced with their eventual loss. Yvonne prayed every night, but never in her words did she express the need to have help for herself, but rather for Danielle, Frank, and Dory. The sexual abuse, she somehow managed to bury deep inside of herself, and even when she would see and speak with Andrew, she would not mention it at all.
For his part, Andrew could see the pain in his friend and there was no question to the fact that he was increasingly worried about her. He spoke to Frank only two other times since the day they had gone to the police, and though Frank was concerned with his daughter’s well being, he expressed his concern for Yvonne as well. Both times Frank had seen Andrew, he would ask if any progress had been made, to which Andrew’s response would be ‘none’.
Andrew did not know how much longer it would be before Yvonne would have an emotional breakdown, but he had every intention of being there for her when it happened. Andrew had the funny suspicion that it would happen only after Danielle’s passing, and he asked Adam if he could tell him something about it. His only hope would be to know, so that he would be there to help Yvonne. In the back of his mind, however, he could not forget the fact that he had abandoned his friend twice since meeting her, and he felt the need to prove to the young girl that he was truly her friend.
On this particular day, Yvonne had come home from school, her eyes bright as she walked, a large stuffed teddy bear in her arms. She had started a Christian club at her school, and their first project was to find a gift that would cheer Danielle up. Yvonne had put her heart in soul into the project and even the teacher advising the club seemed impressed with the effort and the caring that Yvonne had for her friend. The teacher was also a member of the church she attended with Danielle’s family, so they had a chance to meet and talk outside of school.
Things seemed to be going better for her at school. Although she was still teased, she somehow became admired among some of her peers because of her determination to help Danielle. The other kids were aware that Danielle was sick, they only were not aware of what specifically her illness was. Yvonne wanted often to tell them, but Danielle had made her promise that she wouldn’t. “The last thing in the world I need right now is their pity,” Danielle had said.
As she came towards the door, she tried to hold tightly to the teddy bear and reach inside her purse for the key to the house. When she found it hard to do so, she finally knocked.
Within seconds, the middle-aged live-in nurse had opened the door. Once Yvonne came inside, she deposited her backpack in her room and went immediately to see Danielle.
This place had certainly changed. Gone were many of the things Danielle used to have in her room: A large stereo system, CDs, books, posters of famous actors and singers, and her alarm clock. In their places, Danielle had a small ceramic angel by a special hospital bed set up in her room, a pitcher of water on the nightstand, and numbers of books, ranging from Black Beauty to The Chronicles of Narnia on the floor next to it. The walls were empty except for one poster, which her mother had given her. In the bed, Danielle slept.
During this time, Danielle spent most of the days sleeping, only waking up in the early evening when her mother would bring her a bowl of chicken broth or her father would come in with books that he would read to her. They had just finished reading Great Expectations and that book was lying open on the nightstand.
On the other side of the bed, Yvonne could see that Adam was seated there. She never really spoke to him, and he did not speak much to her, but today he looked at her, with sadness in his eyes. Yvonne couldn’t understand the sadness lurking there, but instead of saying anything, she placed the teddy bear at the foot of the bed. Once she had made certain that the teddy bear wouldn’t fall over, she sat down next to the bed, and stared down at her friend.
“You brought her a gift?”
“Yeah, it’s not just from me, it’s also from some of the kids at school. It’s from our club actually, everyone pitched in and we found this teddy for Danielle,” she smiled weakly. “I thought I’d give it to her when she wakes up.”
Adam smiled and immediately bent down and began to whisper something to the sleeping girl. After some moments had passed, he glanced up. “She says it was very nice of you to do so much for her.”
Yvonne shrugged her shoulders and smiled somewhat shyly. She continued her silent vigil by Danielle’s bed until Frank and Dory came home. When she heard them coming inside the house, she excused herself, got up, and left the room.
The nurse had apparently met Danielle’s parents in the kitchen and when Yvonne came down the hall, she could hear the words of the woman echoing through the house.
“Doctor Jensen,” she was saying. “I don’t mind that the girl sits with Danielle when she comes home from school, in fact I think it’s rather nice of her to do so, but she talks to herself and it’s driving me crazy. I can’t work in this kind of environment. A kid like this should be in a special home, not living with a family with a sick daughter.”
Dory looked at the nurse, “with all due respect, Joanne, Yvonne is like a sister to my daughter, and I really don’t appreciate you speaking of her so shabbily.”
“And another thing,” added Frank. “We will not abandon that child, she’s already been through enough.”
“We’d rather relieve you of your services here, than to send Yvonne away,” Dory said curtly and turned back towards the counter.
“Listen, Folks, I wasn’t trying to create problems, I was simply saying that she’s sitting in Danielle’s room day after day talking to herself. If you can deal with that, then fine, I won’t say another word about it.”
Yvonne stood in the hallway stunnedstunned that Danielle’s parents would take up for her and defend her, but also because the nurse seemed to think she was crazy. She had only exchanged a few words with Adam since this started, and it really angered her when she heard that someone was accusing her of babbling as though she was speaking to an imaginary friend.
Instead of going down the hall to the kitchen, Yvonne decided to go back to her room. It would have been easier than to actually walk into the kitchen and embarrass herself as well as the nurse. Once in her room, Yvonne sat down on the bed.
What she didn’t expect was to see Andrew appear in front of her. “Yvonne,” he said gently, his voice soft, but full of compassion.
“Andrew?”
“Shhh, don’t say anything,” he began. “There’s something I have to tell you.”
Before she could ask what it was he wanted to say, he pressed two of his fingers against her lips indicating that she should remain silent. She nodded and looked down at her lap.
“Yvonne, Danielle’s going home,” he said gently.
“Home?” she mouthed the word.
“I’ve come to get you because it’s time for you to go and say good-bye to her,” he said.
She could feel the tears in her eyes, but stood up numbly and followed him out of the room. Glancing back towards the kitchen, she could see the backs of Danielle’s parents and the nurse, but this time it didn’t matter to her what they said, and if they said anything about her; it no longer mattered. Let them think I’m a raving lunatic; she thought bitterly to herself, I don’t care anymore. The angry thoughts, and emotions began to curse through her body until she could feel Andrew’s hand on her shoulder. Somehow, this act alone showed that he really understood her, and as they reached the door to Danielle’s room, Yvonne had calmed down considerably.
Once she had walked inside the room, Yvonne approached the bed slowly. Once she sat down, she looked helplessly at Adam. She could now understand the sadness she had seen in his eyes when she had been there before.
“Take her hand, Yvonne,” he said gently, and as she did, she failed to notice that Andrew had left the room giving her some privacy with her friend.
“Yvonne,” Danielle opened her eyes slightly, and her name was spoken almost as though the other girl was sighing.
“Yeah, it’s me, I’m here,” she said softly.
“You’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had,” the words came slowly, but Yvonne took them to heart because she could feel them, as though Danielle was hugging her tightly with those words.
“You too,” Yvonne spoke sadly.
“Yvonne, stay with my parents. They’re going to need you,” Danielle whispered. “Take my place, be their daughter.”
“I can’t take your place, Danielle, no one can,” Yvonne said feeling the tears beginning to brim underneath her eyes.
“Promise me,” Danielle insisted.
“OK, I promise,” Yvonne finally said softly.
Danielle’s voice got weaker as she began to quote a song Yvonne had often played when she was living with her mother and sisters:
‘Did God overlook it?
What should have been written?
The Eleventh Commandment:
Honor thy Children..’
As her voice faded, Yvonne could feel the tears streaming down her face. She continued to hold Danielle’s hand, and she looked at her friend. “What will I do without you?”
“You will allow yourself to heal, that’s my only wish of you. Please honor it, Yvonne. If you do anything else for me, make sure you allow your spirit to heal.” Danielle closed her eyes and after a moment, she opened them again. “There isn’t much time, please could you go get my parents.”
Yvonne nodded, stood up and walked with weighted steps towards the door of the room. She turned back towards the bed and looked at Danielle one last time. “Good-bye Danielle.”
She walked out of the room slowly, down the hall and into the kitchen. “Frank, Dory; Danielle wants to see you,” she said, interrupting the conversation with the nurse, but all the while trying to keep her voice steady.
“She’s awake?” the nurse asked, but Yvonne said nothing, she nodded simply and walked slowly out of the kitchen and back down the hall towards her room. She could see Frank and Dory going into Danielle’s room, and once the door had closed, she allowed the tears to fall freely down her cheeks. ‘Everyone I have ever loved has left me,’ her own words echoed in her mind. She ran into her room and closed the door.
Inside, she threw herself across the bed and allowed herself to cry. As her sobs got louder and more emotional, she could feel someone’s arms wrapping around her and pulling her off the bed and into a comforting embrace.
She couldn’t even find the words to speak, all she could do was simply hold tightly to Andrew, her face buried against his sweater, her body shaking as she sobbed. The words would simply not come, she could feel Andrew holding her tightly in his arms. He whispered his assurances to her, but the exact words he used, she could not remember. As her weeping began to soften, she suddenly realized how tired she was and in his arms, she eventually slept.
The sounds throughout the house had changed as Yvonne drifted off to sleep. Andrew could hear Dory and Frank crying in the other room, his heart going out to both of them. He knew that Danielle was now with Adam on her way home, but the joy in knowing this was not there for any of them. Danielle was only twelve, she was just a child. During the past months, she had sacrificed everything for Yvonne, right down to making sure that her friend would have a safe haven where she would belong even after Danielle herself had died.
Andrew continued to brush his hand through Yvonne’s hair. He could feel the tears in his own eyes, but when he looked down at Yvonne and could see her as she slept in his arms, he could feel the depths of her alienation. How would she cope now that Danielle was gone? It looked to him as though Adam’s job there was now over, but his was just beginning.
-*-*-*-
“Angel Boy?” a voice emerged some ten minutes after Yvonne had fallen asleep in Andrew’s arms.
“Tess,” he opened his eyes and could see both Tess and Monica standing in the room. Yvonne was still asleep and he shifted his weight trying not to disturb her.
“You should let her get some rest,” Tess said gently.
“No,” he said softly. “I made a promise to her.”
“I know, but if you allow her to sleep like this, she’ll wake up tomorrow feeling even worse than she already does,” Tess reasoned. “Come on, just put her to bed. You can stay with her for as long as it takes, but at least let her get a proper night’s sleep.”
Andrew reluctantly agreed; and with Yvonne still wrapped in his arms, he stood up. Monica pulled the blankets back and Andrew laid her on the bed. Once she was stretched out, he reached for the sheet and blanket and covered her with them. “Monica, can you give me her teddy bear, he’s sitting over there on the desk,” he whispered.
Monica saw the soft brown bear with a gingham pattern on his paws and ears, and handed him to Andrew. He laid the teddy bear next to Yvonne, and leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.
“Now then, Angel Boy, you take care of yourself, we have to go, we have another assignment,” Tess said. “If you need us, you know where we are. Come on, Miss Wings.”
“What’s our assignment, Tess?” Monica asked feeling somewhat ashamed for having not only to leave this child, but also a family which, right now, really seemed to need angels with them.
“Legal Assistants,” was all Tess said, her voice somewhat mysterious. Before the two of them disappeared, Monica gave Andrew a warm and encouraging smile.
-*-*-*-
Five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. “Yvonne?”
When Yvonne didn’t even shift on the bed, the door opened and Dory walked slowly in. Her face was streaked with tears and she held a wadded up tissue in her hand. She shook her head as she looked down at the sleeping girl on the bed. She could see the red blotches on Yvonne’s face, the dried tears had been smeared across her cheeks. Sometimes I wish I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, she thought bitterly to herself as she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at Yvonne as she slept.
“I don’t know if I have the strength to help you, Yvonne,” she whispered after some moments of silence passed. “I guess deep inside, I wish there was someone who could do for you what needs to be done. I wish I could believe that someone like that would exist. Not just for you, but also for me, someone with so much wisdom, and so much kindness. I guess, what I’m saying is that I wish I could believe in angels like Danielle did.” She began to fiddle with the small ceramic angel that had been on Danielle’s nightstand.
When Yvonne didn’t move, she continued to speak. “My baby is gone, Yvonne, but you have your life ahead of you, and Danielle wanted this. It was her wish to have you finally know what it means to be a part of a family. Somehow, I don’t know if I can look at you without seeing Danielle or remembering her, but I will try. Please, be patient with me while I try to fulfill the final wish of my daughter.”
Andrew sat and listened to Dory as she spoke, but he remained invisible to her.
“I know you’ve been through a lot,” she continued, “but, please forgive me if I cannot always be there to listen to you, but right now I just can’t, not so soon after all this,” The tears continued to stream down her cheeks and she allowed the small figure to slip from her fingertips. It fell to the floor as she got up and walked slowly out of the room closing the door behind her.
Andrew sighed once she had left, but he leaned down and retrieved the angel that she had brought inside the room. Her words had saddened him, but at the same time, he could understand the feelings she carried. It is never easy for a parent to loose a child, and he could not help but wonder if she was actually aware that the best way to honor her daughter was to help her daughter’s friend. He concluded that she probably did not yet acknowledge this because the pain was really too strong for her. At any rate, he was determined to remain there, and he continued to watch over Yvonne.
After a few moments of silence, he could hear someone coming down the hall. The door opened and he saw Frank peering inside the room. “Thank you, Andrew,” he whispered when he saw the angel sitting next to Yvonne’s bed. In his hand, was the ceramic figurine.
“No reason to thank me, Frank,” he offered sincerely.
Frank nodded, left the room, and closed the door without another word.
-*-*-*-
Three days later, the Jensen house was full. Family member from all over the state flocked to the house. Friends and acquaintances brought casseroles and offered their condolences to the grieving family. Yvonne met so many relatives and friends that she could not even remember all their names. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, church members, friends; there were too many people to count, much less remember.
In all of this, Yvonne felt even more like an outsider. This was Danielle’s family, not her own, but at the same time, she did not even want to think about her own family. She didn’t want to contemplate it, her father was gone, her mother bitterly hating her for speaking about what had happened, her sisters now separated and living in foster homes. The entire family was torn apart and Yvonne believed that it was all her fault.
She stood in her bedroom looking at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a dark gray colored dress, her sandy blonde hair pulled back in a simple ponytail. She had never been to a funeral before, and the thought of going out into the living room and greeting a bunch of strangers made her nervous. She could not remember what happened during the last three days, only that Andrew had been there for her after she had said good-bye to Danielle. Since she had woken up the morning after Danielle had died, she had spent almost every waking moment in Andrew’s company. The angel refused to leave her side, and for that, she was grateful, but her sadness grew.
Today, she reflected on how the kids at school had once called her a zombie, and now she felt like she was a depiction of their cruel names. Her eyes had black circles around them, her face sunken in. She had not really talked to Frank or Dory since Danielle’s passing, but she did not want to burden them. Aside from that, she really had no desire to speak to anyone at all.
Even though Andrew was constantly there for her, she did not speak to him very much. Somehow, she believed that he understood why, but her words just would not come. This particular morning, she had yet to see him and she wondered if he would come to the funeral at all. Did angels even go to human funerals?
She reached for the small purse that was on the bed and grabbed a matching jacket and put it on. She did not really want to come out of the room, but she did not wish to keep the others waiting either. She wiped a cloth handkerchief over her face, and smiled weakly as she looked in the mirror.
“Yvonne?” she looked up and saw Adam standing there.
“Hi,” she whispered. “I thought you would be gone. I guess I just figured that after…”
“No, Andrew asked me to check in on you,” Adam began. “You’ll see him later today. But, the other reason I’m here is because Danielle wanted me to give you a message.”
“She did?”
“She doesn’t want you to be sad anymore. She also wants you to look after Teddy for her,” he said smiling.
“Teddy?”
“That’s the teddy bear you brought her three days ago. She wants you to adopt him and take care of him for her,” Adam said.
She nodded “OK.”
“And, Yvonne?”
“Is there more?”
“Not from Danielle, but rather from me. How are you doing?” he asked simply, his voice filled with concern for her.
“I’ve had better days,” she answered softly.
“I know,” he smiled sympathetically. “Take care of yourself, and don’t forget the promises you made.”
With that, Adam disappeared and Yvonne was once again alone. It’s a good thing I am used to them coming and going like this, or else I would be beyond freaking out, she thought to herself as she heard someone knocking gently on her door. She went and opened the door and saw one of Danielle’s cousins standing on the other side. It was Danielle’s 15-year-old cousin, a shy boy with glasses and dark hair named Jeremy.
“Aunt Dory asked me to come and get you,” he said gently. “It’s time to go to the church.”
“OK,” Yvonne said and followed Jeremy down the hall towards the living room. The rest of the adults in the family were there and it seemed as though they were trying to figure out how they would carpool to the church. None of those present wanted Frank or Dory to drive, so it was decided that Frank and Dory would ride with Dory’s parents, and Yvonne would ride with Jeremy and his parents.
Outside, she managed to make eye contact with Frank before crawling in the backseat with Jeremy. As she sat next to Danielle’s cousin, she found herself sinking into her own contemplations. It wasn’t until they arrived at the church that Jeremy nudged her and they got out of the car.
-*-*-*-
As she walked inside the church, she joined Danielle’s parents at the front. Dory sat between her father and Frank, Yvonne was seated next to Frank. Right before the bell started ringing to signify the 11 O’clock hour, someone came and sat down on the other side of her. She turned slightly and shifted her handbag to give the person more room.
After a few moments, she turned and could see the profile of the person seated next to her; it was Andrew.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hello Yvonne,” as soon as he spoke, the bells began to chime and Yvonne looked up to see the pastor come and stand before the mourners. It was Pastor Karl, Yvonne knew this man, and she had been to him for counseling after Danielle had learned about her abuse. She remembered as well how compassionate he had been with the Jensen family after Danielle had gotten sick. It was obvious that he was affected profoundly by their loss as well.
As the service started, Yvonne could only stare at the casket where her friend lay. She could hear the pastor speaking of Danielle, her love for God, her spiritual convictions, and how strong she had been after her illness had come to light. “Danielle was a girl of strength, she demonstrated this everyday. For example, when found out about the struggles of one of her other friends, she did everything she could to help even though it happened during the greatest challenge of her life. She confided in me once that since she never had a sister, she felt a strong sense of family when it came to this particular friend.” The man’s eyes were on Yvonne as he continued. “She also told me that she believed somehow that she was supposed to meet this friend to learn what a true friendship really was. She said that since she was not always a nice person, she needed to find someone like her friend Yvonne who would teach her this.”
Yvonne sat quietly and listened. When a few people looked in her direction, she wanted only to crawl under the pew in front of her and disappear. Andrew reached over and squeezed her hand gently.
The pastor continued to speak. “After learning of her illness, she maintained the belief that God was good, and that he loved her. With her time limited, Danielle Marie Jensen continued to be a straight ‘A’ student, volunteered here at the church, and continued to help others. She was never one to feel pity for herself, and she would not accept pity from her friends. She believed that a friendship did not have room for pity, but would grow through kindness and understanding. The last time she saw me, she gave me a picture she had drawn, and told me that she would like to have it shown here before all of you. I made this promise to do so,” he said and held up a sheet of paper.
As Yvonne looked at it, she smiled weakly. The picture was of four individuals and Yvonne immediately recognized them. The first person was Danielle, and she was holding the hand of a taller figureAdam. Next to Adam, was Andrew, and then Yvonne was on the end. She was standing behind Andrew on a bench, and she had her arms around his neck. All four of them were smiling.
“I was asked not to say anything about this, except that to Danielle, these three individuals are her best friends,” he paused. “Though she may no longer be with us, she wanted to remind everyone here that her physical death isn’t the end of her life, it is only the beginning of her journey.”
Yvonne turned to Andrew and the angel nodded.
After some moments, she turned back around and could see that Dory had turned and was now looking at Yvonne. The young girl could feel the color draining from her face, but when she turned back to face Andrew, she knew that he too was aware of the confusion that Dory was experiencing when it came to her daughter’s drawing. Andrew smiled and after a few moments, he reached over and touched Yvonne’s hand. As he did, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, “take a look over by the entrance.”
Yvonne did as he said and as soon as she turned around, she saw Danielle standing next to Adam in the doorway of the church. Danielle’s hand was holding tightly to Adam’s, exactly as depicted in her drawing. No one else in the room could see them, and Yvonne had to rub her eyes to make sure she was not dreaming. When she realized that Danielle was in fact there, she mouthed a one-word question to her friend: ‘Me?’
Danielle smiled at Yvonne, her eyes shining as though she had just told the most amazing joke in the world, but she nodded adamantly and waved at Yvonne before she and Adam disappeared.
Life never really returned to normal in the Jensen household. Several months after the funeral, Yvonne was still not speaking of her past and neither Frank nor Dory would press the issue in conversation. Andrew was left to conclude that perhaps it was too difficult for her to do so. He had not seen Tess or Monica since the night Danielle had died, and he missed them terribly.
The picture Pastor Karl had showed at the funeral service was given to the family, and Dory had framed it and hung it in the kitchen, but no one spoke of who that fourth man in the drawing was, although Frank and Yvonne knew it was Adam.
It came to both of them as a great relief that Dory had met Andrew, he had been at the cemetery, and it had been easy for him to tell Dory that he had been the girls’ history teacher during the early part of the school year. The questions however continued to fly about regarding who the other man in the picture was. Yvonne figured that Dory would eventually find out, because Frank would probably have to tell her.
It was some weeks after Christmas that Yvonne’s challenges progressively got worse. She had been informed that she would have to attend and testify at Rick’s court hearing.
She had gotten up that morning and got dressed. Without stopping to eat breakfast, she left with Frank to go downtown to the courthouse. Once they had arrived she walked slowly with him inside the courtroom and sat down at a long table some three feet from the judge’s bench. The judge sat in her seat at the front of the room, looking stern and intimidating. Yvonne could hear the lawyers for Rick Watson immediately beginning to lay into her about the abuse and she ended up feeling all the more at fault for everything that had happened.
Rick sat there in that room, his eyes smoldering as he regarded her. At one point, he stood up and told the courtroom observers that Yvonne was an overly imaginative child and that it was obvious to anyone with half a brain, that she had made this all up to disrupt the family. It was so horrible, that Yvonne did not see the doors in the back of the room opening and the lawyer who was to represent her had entered.
It was a young man named Henry Green, he was friends with Franklin Jensen, but was also well practiced in Family Law. “I’m sorry for my tardiness, Your Honor, but I just had to give some information to your secretary before I came.”
“The court understands, Counselor,” the judge, an elderly woman with a head full of gray hair, said. “I was already given copies of your findings by your legal assistants.”
Yvonne sat alone and stared blankly at the tiles in front of the judge’s bench. She really did not understand any of this, and it was embarrassing for her to be sitting there. Somehow, she could feel the eyes of the people gawking at her from behind, but she did not dare turn around.
“I realize this is highly irregular, but Mr. Green, I’d like to see your client alone in my chambers for a few moments,” the judge said after staring at Yvonne for a few minutes. “We’re going to take a recess until three O’clock. At that time, I will make the decision as to whether or not this case goes to trial.” She hit the gavel once, stood up, and was gone.
Yvonne did not realize anything until Henry nudged her and told her that she should follow the bailiff. She stood up and followed the man out of the courtroom, down a hallway, and into a small office. Once she sat down on one side of a large desk, the bailiff left the office and within seconds, the judge entered. As she approached the desk, she unbuttoned the formal black robe she was wearing. Underneath it, she had on a ‘Mother of Pearl’ pin and wore an elegant business suit.
“My Dear, you look so tense,” the judge began, a gentle smile on her face. “It’s OK, no one’s going to bite you in here. You looked as though you would rather be anywhere else in this world but out there, and I figured it would probably be easier for you to talk one on one rather than with all those people staring at you.”
“I was just thinking about my friend,” Yvonne said softly.
“Yes, I heard about Danielle,” she said. “Such a pity. How are you doing now? It’s been some months since her passing, hasn’t it?”
“Yes ma’am, but I’m not just thinking about her, I’m also thinking about another friend. I haven’t seen him in a while and I’m just wondering how he is doing,” Yvonne said softly.
“You seem to think more about your friends then you do about yourself,” she began. “I think you understand that what is going on out there does involve you. It’s about your future, Yvonne, and what will happen to your family.”
“I don’t really feel as though I have much of a family anymore. None of them want any contact with me. They think I lied about what happened,” Yvonne said softly shaking her head sadly. “Sometimes I think my friends care more for me than my family does.”
“Why don’t you tell me about what has happened to you? I think it might make you feel better, and we have a few hours until we have to go back inside,” the judge said gently pressing a record button on a tape recorder.
Before Yvonne could begin to answer, she could see Andrew standing near the window smiling over at her. “Go ahead and tell her, Yvonne, she’s there to help you,” Andrew whispered. “I’ll be here for you no matter what happens. Trust me, I won’t leave you alone, but you need this. Do it for Danielle, and that promise you made.”
Yvonne nodded and began to speak. “It started last summer, I was home during the day, much of the time I was alone with Rick…”
-*-*-*-
The morning faded into the afternoon. As promised, Andrew remained in the judge’s chambers with Yvonne. The kindly judge taped the entire conversation and even when the answers were too difficult for Yvonne to answer, she would reach across the desk and squeeze Yvonne’s hand.
“Anyway, then I met Andrew,” Yvonne was saying as she wrapped up her story.
“Who is Andrew?” the judge asked.
“He was my history teacher,” Yvonne said softly looking down at her hands. “He somehow gave me hope.”
“A history teacher who can give a girl hope. Quite extraordinary,” the judge said. “Then what happened?”
“Your Honor, with all due respect, I’d rather not talk about that,” Yvonne said, but right as she did, Andrew appeared and around him was a nimbus of white light which filled the room. “Andrew!”
“My stars,” the judge began, but she was smiling enthusiastically. “I thought Tess was the last angel I would see in my lifetime.”
“Y-you know Tess?” Yvonne asked.
“Yes, of course I know her. She certainly can leave a lasting impact on people. You see, she’s been working as a legal assistant here in this building, downstairs, to be exact, and on your case,” the judge explained as she smiled at Andrew. “I am left to assume that you’re the industrious history teacher?” That said, some of the light surrounding him faded slightly.
Andrew nodded. “I guess you could say that. I’ve been here all afternoon, because Yvonne is my friend.”
“But, I still don’t understand what happened?” Yvonne looked at the judge.
“Well, as ironic as it sounds, Tess and her friend, Monica, have been researching our friend Rick Watson and she has told me what has been going on,” the judge said looking at Yvonne’s questioning gaze. “I suppose, Yvonne, that it was through Tess that the decision was made and that I should try to talk to you. When I saw you sitting there in the courtroom this morning, I could see that clearly, you desperately needed to talk to someone about what had happened to you.”
“How come?” Yvonne looked at Andrew.
“The answers to your questions aren’t so important, Yvonne. What is, is the answer you have to give me right now,” Andrew said gently and got down on his knees in front of her. Looking deeply in her eyes, he spoke. “How do you feel right now, right this very minute?”
She looked down at her lap; it was filled with wadded up tissues. She had cried so much during the last few hours and it was all because she was finally telling her story. After a few moments of silence, her one word answer finally emerged. “Better,” she offered weakly. “I actually feel better.” She looked at Andrew. “How come?”
“You acknowledged the truth, Yvonne, and as they say ‘the truth will set you free’,” Andrew said gently. “You have been very brave, you have made God proud, and you have made it possible so that others won’t be hurt by the one who hurt you.”
The judge nodded. “That’s right, Mr. Watson is going to stand trial. Not just because of our celestial visitors, but also because of you, and your ability to speak of what you have been through,” she paused, “you see, Yvonne, I understand how you feel, because I was sexually abused as a child myself. I became a judge to help other people come to grips with this and the fact is, I could tell by looking at you that you were seriously hurting. For you to even see Mr. Watson sitting across the aisle from you, made me realize the extent of the fear you have of him.”
“You’re still afraid of him, aren’t you?” Andrew asked gently.
Yvonne nodded. “I’m afraid that the system will let him go and that I won’t be safe anymore,” she paused. ‘Monica said that I would never be hurt again by him, but I didn’t want to believe it. I lost everything because of this. I lost my mother, my friends…”
“Your innocence,” the judge added.
“And a part of your spirit,” Andrew said sadly. Taking her hand gently in his own, he squeezed it reassuringly. “You have to see it now, Yvonne, you cannot focus all of your energy on Frank and Dory, nor can you worry any longer about Danielle. You saw her appear in the church as a sign to you that she is happy and you can now fulfill your promises to her. You have started today, but there is still a ways for you to go. It will be a struggle each day, but you must never stop believing that God is sharing this battle with you. He will be there for you every step of the way; all you have to do is ask Him.”
“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she asked weakly.
“Yes, I have a new assignment now, and won’t be back for a long time,” Andrew said. “But, I want you to know that I won’t forget you.”
“Does this mean I’ll never see you again?”
“Oh, you will, one day,” he said gently, and he looked at her, his eyes depicting the meaning behind the words he had just said. She nodded as he continued. “Yvonne, I want you to allow Audrey, Frank and Dory to help you. They all want to, you know?”
“Audrey?” Yvonne asked wondering who the third person was that Andrew was referring to.
The judge smiled brightly. “That’s me, Yvonne, my name is Audrey Palmer.”
Andrew nodded and continued to speak. “Allow your experiences to help others as Audrey is doing. Through these things, you will help those who have experienced this same kind of horror. I believe in you and I know you will teach others through your belief in God how to overcome all the things that have scarred you. In doing so, you will heal your soul. When I see you again, when that day comes, I hope that you will be able to look me in the eye and say, ‘Andrew, my life wasn’t a waste, I did it; I survived and no one on Earth was able to rob me of my inner-strength’.”
“Will I?” Yvonne asked.
“You will,” he said smiling. “I believe you will, and I know you. You are not just a kind-hearted and unselfish girl, Yvonne, you’re also my friend. You saw me at my weakest and you embraced me as your friend. This was your prayer, to understand and really be a friend to another, and you achieved it. In doing so, you discovered that you are worthy of God’s love. My question to you now is; do you believe it?”
Yvonne nodded, “I do believe it, Andrew, because He sent you.”
“Audrey, will you take good care of this child? She’s a very special person,” Andrew said smiling. His green eyes sparkled as he looked at the two of them.
“You have my word, Andrew,” Audrey said gently.
“I love you,” Yvonne said softly as she hugged him. “I want you to know that I’ll make you proud.”
“Make God proud, Yvonne,” he said gently and once their hug ended, he stood up. “And He is very proud of you. For what it’s worth, you have already made me proud.” Smiling, he disappeared.
“Good-bye,” Yvonne said sadly once the halo of light had vanished. She could feel the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks, but she looked across the desk at Audrey. “You believe in angels?”
“After what we just witnessed? You bet I do,” Audrey said and pulled a small rubber stamp out of her desk drawer and held it up so that Yvonne could see it. ‘I believe in angels’ was written across it. “I have a small collection of these in my desk for coping with stress. Come back here and I’ll show you.”
Yvonne did as she said and when she looked down, an entire drawer was filled with stamps, inks, and pieces of paper. She pulled the stamp Frank had given to her out of her pocket and showed it to Audrey. “I have that one too.”
“I figured you would,” was all Audrey said. “Since we don’t have to go back in there until 3, why don’t we alleviate some of that stress right now?”
Yvonne smiled for the first time since Danielle’s death.
-*-*-*-
Tess and Monica were waiting for him when Andrew appeared after having said good-bye to Yvonne. “It was hard, but I think she’s really going to be OK,” he said, happy tears in his eyes.
“She won’t forget you, Angel Boy,” Tess said gently. “You changed her life.”
“What happened? Audrey said that you had found all the information about Rick Watson.” Andrew said trying to change the subject. He really was very modest about what he had done and as far as his feelings for Yvonne, he just assumed to keeping those thoughts to himself.
“We did, and simply passed it on to the lawyer we were working with, Frank’s friend, Henry Green. He was late for the appointment because he had to give the information we had obtained to the judge’s secretary,” Tess explained. “That’s why Audrey pulled Yvonne aside.”
“So, you really were helping Yvonne behind the scenes?” Andrew asked.
“Well it’s like I told you, Andrew, when we left you two after Danielle went home, we didn’t leave Yvonne hanging, we went to work trying to help her talk about what had happened. We were still on the assignment, you just didn’t know it,” Tess replied smiling.
“It wasn’t so bad either, because Henry is one of the biggest coffee connoisseurs in the city,” Monica said smiling brightly. “I had a chance to try all the coffee I could drink while we were working there.”
“Don’t remind me of that, Miss Wings,” Tess said dryly as she got in the car. “Come on, we have a new assignment.”
Andrew crawled in the backseat, and Monica got in the front. As they drove out of the area, Tess turned on the radio. As she adjusted the volume, they could hear the Collin Raye song ‘The Eleventh Commandment’ starting. “That’s Yvonne’s song,” Andrew said softly.
Tess nodded and smiled as they drove out of town. As they did, a dove took to flight through the trees. It was then that Andrew knew that Yvonne was going to be alright and he smiled.
The
End….
As
with any piece of fan fiction, this story is not written to infringe on
any previously held copyrights. That includes any and all
persons responsible for bringing us ‘Touched By an Angel’ as well as
through the mention of Collin Raye’s wonderful music and specifically
the song ‘The Eleventh Commandment’.
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